38 



Hawaiian Fishes 



ceans, which they gather from the mud and crush with the aid of their 

 pavement like teeth. 



In Florida waters, they are considered a good game fish because they 

 are beautiful and active. Although bonefish are not highly valued as 

 food, they are nevertheless eaten, 



THE MILK FISH FAMILY 



15 Family Chanidae 



The family of the milk fishes is a small group of ancient origin. They 

 are a brilliant silvery color, quite large, and have small scales and no teeth. 



Milkfish are abundant in the Gulf of California, Polynesia, and 

 throughout the Indo-Pacific area. 



Only one species is known to occur in Oceania. Further study may 

 reveal that the family consists of but a single species. 



Milkfish or Awa 

 15-1 Chanos chanos (Forskal) 



Drawn from Jordan & Evermann 



The entire body of the milkfish has a brilliant, metallic color. It is 

 silvery-bluish or grayish-green above, silvery on the sides, and white 

 beneath. It reaches a length of from two to five feet and has a small, 

 toothless mouth. The scales which cover the body are hard and silvery 

 and were used by different peoples as ornaments. It is most easily recog- 

 nized by its widely forked tail. 



The awa is one of the most important food fishes in the Hawaiian 

 Islands. It is next to the mullet the most abundant species frequenting 

 the walled fish ponds. Like the mullet, it is run with the tide into the fish 

 ponds and there confined while it grows to maturity. 



