FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72, NO. 4 



Table 67. — Food of Canthehnes sandwichiensis. 



the day, picking at objects on the bottom. During 

 evening twilight, it moves from sight and is not 

 visible at night when presumably it rests in reef 

 crevices. 



All seven individuals (116: 84-132 mm) 

 speared from among those active close to the reef 

 during the day were full of food, much of it fresh, 

 as listed in Table 67. 



CONCLUSION.— Can^/?^rznes sandwichiensis 

 is a diurnal omnivore that feeds on a wide variety 

 of benthic algae and invertebrates. 



Pervagor spilosoma (Lay and 

 Bennett) — oili uwfuwi 



This, the most colorful filefish in Kona, as well 

 as the smallest of the three considered there, is 



most numerous on coral-rich reefs. It is a solitary 

 fish, active close among the corals in daylight, but 

 not seen after dark when presumably it rests in 

 reef crevices. 



Of the seven specimens (85: 64-120 mm) col- 

 lected, one that was speared close to coral just be- 

 fore sunrise (the first individual of the species to 

 appear that morning) had an empty gut, whereas 

 all six that were speared from among those active 

 on the reef between midmorning and midafter- 

 noon were full of food, as listed in Table 68. 



As is true of Cantherines dumerili, above, the 

 major food of this filefish is scleractinian coral; 

 however, whereas C. dumerili bites off relative- 

 ly large chunks of coral, each containing many 

 polyps, P. spilosoma seems to pluck at only one 

 polyp at a time, as do certain chaetodontids. Never- 

 theless, judging from its gut load of skeletal 



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