THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. 365 



sentatives of all such well-known forms as the pilot-tishes, amber-fishes, tlie run- 

 ners, mackerel-scads, big-eyed scads and cavallas. 



The Parrot-Fish Family. 



The parrot-fish,'* of wliicli the islands can lioast of a large assortment, 

 resemble the wrasse-fishes''' in color, form and scales, bid differ in that they 

 have the teeth more or less fused together which gives to the mouth a heavy 

 beak-like appearance suggestive of the bill of a parrot. They are all herbivorous 

 fishes, some of them attaininu- a very larije side. They are abundant about 

 the coral reefs where they always add a touch of vivid color to the wonderful 

 picture to be seen through an observation hood or a glass-bottomed boat. The 

 flesh is soft and white and of a rather pasty nature. It is a favorite fish 

 with the Hawaiians, who eat it r;iw at their feasts, but it is seldom cooked by 

 Europeans. 



The color pattern of this group is greatly varied and the family is bi'oken 

 up into many species. In Hawaii four well-marked genera occur and at least 

 two dozen species have been found and described from the islands. The i>onu- 

 Ininuhu -'" has the spinous dorsal fin with a distinct black spot between the 

 first and second spines and the sides somewhat mottled, but without definite 

 spots or specks. They are quite common in the markets. Tlic nhu -' is a gen- 

 eral reddish color without conspicuous markings other than a narrow violet line 

 on the outer edge of the dorsal. The.v are not very abundant and as a result 

 command an exorbitant price. The uhu uliuli -- is one of the handsomest fish 

 of the islands. It is green in color with bars or stripes on the dorsal and spots 

 on the scales of the lower sides and a curious rectangular patch over the snout. 

 The blue parrot-fish--'' is a fine bi-illiant blue fish that in the olden time was 

 tabu, for the use of the chiefs alone. It now sells at a ridiculously high price 

 and is eaten raw. The pipe-fish family -^ is represented by three or four genera, 

 one of which -•' is of interest since it includes two island species of the curious 

 sea-horse. Both species are so rare, however, that there seems to be no generally 

 accepted native name for the curious animal. 



Porcupine-Pish. 



Porcupine fishes-" occur in tlw group, there being four species in all. The\- 

 are more or less spherical in form and as the name implies, have the bod.v well 

 ariiicd with sharp spines the bases of which are so broad as to form a coat of 

 mail in the skin. The oopu kawa -" is the species commonly on exhibition in 

 tile Aijuarium. It is a sluggish fish, livi-ug at the bottom among the seaweeds 

 on the coral reefs about the islands. They are reported as being poisonous. 

 When disturbed the.v swallow air and fioat belly up on the water. Their power 

 of inflation, however, is not so marked as that of the globe-fish or puffers, to 

 which they are related. As they are seldom used for food, their principal use 



* Sraridtp. ^^ Labridte. -•* Calolomus sandvicenftiv, -^ CaUyodnii 



■ Calliiodon perspicellatiis. -^ Pseudoscorus jordani, -* J^yni/nathidtr. 

 > DinduntidiT. -'' Dindon iiiidifroiis. 



