THE AXLMAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. 359 



The Wrasse-Fishes. 



The Labrkla or wrasse-fish — a New England name — includes more tlum 

 twenty genera in which are distributed more than fifty Hawaiian species. Of 

 this large family only a few examples can be mentioned. The general form 

 of the various species, though it varies somewhat fi'om one genus to another, is 

 sufficiently characteristic throughout the family to render them easily identi- 

 fied as members of the same division. The color patterns, usiuilly of the 

 brightest hues of blue, gi'een, golden, scarlet, crimson and purple, ai'c as rich 

 and deep as though laid on with a brush by a most lavish hand. Often, in 

 addition to its vivid color, the pattern is one of the greatest delicacy or the most 

 intricate design. 



Most of the wrasse-fishes feed u])on mollnsks and have their teeth adapted 

 for crushing shells, but as they fre(|Ufnt the rocky coast, the coral reefs, the 

 kelp beds, and the opeu sea, their food must necessarily vary considerably. 

 However, in all the genera the teeth in the front ,jaws are prominent, separate 

 and pointed. 



Perhaps the most brilliant species are among those in the genera Tlinlas- 

 soma and ,/((//.s-, but the iiinri' delicately-colored species are among the Sh tlm- 

 jiilis. The a'awa,-'-' (imaka,''^ akilolo,-'"'"' oiude,-'" awela,-'"'" hinalea lauwili,-''* 

 IdIo ami hilu'"' and poou '" ai'c among the species to be seen almost <laily in 

 th(^ mai-kets, and often in the Aipiarium. 



The lantern-fishes and lizai'd-fishes ^- arr well rejiresented in tin- lla- 

 \vaii;in fauna, the kawelea ^■' and ulai- '* licing common examples of the 

 latter. Their large mouths and lizard-like shapes render them easy of iden- 

 tification in the markets. The lantern-fishes are for the mo.st part denizens of 

 the deep, and as they live away from the shores, they are seldom seen except 

 when the.\ come to the sui'face at night or in times of stormy weather. 



^Il'llet. 



The mullet is by far the most important and generally esteemed food fish 

 of the islands. There are three genera of the family, ^•'' each represented by 

 a single species that have been reported from the group, but it is the specie.s 

 commonly called the ama-ama,-*" that is the most abundant. It is this species 

 which in former times received the most attention from the natives in the way 

 of protection and conservation. So much has been done along this line that 

 mullet ponds have been impoi-tant institutions since the days of the early 

 chiefs. In fact, the time of the building of many of the ponds extends far 

 back into the age of fable, the Ilawaiians attributing the construction of one 

 iif the pduds on Kauai to the work of the menehunes — a fabled race of dwai'fs 

 that cdrrespond in many ways with our Brownies. 



;\lany of the oldest mullet ])onds are still in use and in ;ni excellent state 

 of repair. As the ponds were originally owned by the kings and chiefs, it is 



^^ Lfpidapluis spp. -'^ StcthojidLs .sp, •'"• (iniiii)li'>su.i sp. ■^" A iiniiip/tfs sp. ■'" Tlifilnssomii sp. 



'■^ Tlinlnnmiiia s.p. »»/»/(< spp. '" ClH'ilinii.s m,. '< Miirlorhiilte. '- SiinndiniitidrF. 



'■' rm,-hinocei>halii.s mimi,.':. " Si/doiIiix vnriiix. '^ Mui/ilkliv. '"Mui/il cf/jhalus. 



