THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROUP. 367 



is as curiosities, and they arc oljjccts of n<'ver-failiiig interest at the A(|iiariiim 

 and ill natural history collections. 



The name porgy was applied by the Greeks to a n't\ fish of lliis family-^ 

 common in the Mediterranean. Since then the name lias l)cen carried over the 

 world by the Spanish and came to be the common name applied to a i^roup of 

 carniverous shore fishes of the tropics which are everywhere esteemed. as food. 

 The single Hawaiian porgy is the mu.-'' In their general shape they somcAvhat 

 resemble the sea-snappers, having their bass-like mouth armeil with several 

 conical canine-like teeth in front. They are greenish in color witli two paler 

 cross-bands that extend up into the dorsal fin. 



The Puffers. 



Tile puffers ^^ and sharp-nosed puffers ^^ are two families, closely related to 

 the porcupine fish, that have ten species belonging to four genera in the Hawaiian 

 fauna. The walls of the' abdomen are capable of distention so that when in- 

 flated the fish appears like an animated glass giolie with a head and a tail at- 

 tached. The oopuhue, or keke,-^- is the most abundant species. It is light 

 olive-green covered over the back with pearly spots, the belly being striped with 

 light yellow and pearly, but the colors vary greatly with age. It is an 

 abundant fish in suitable places about Honolulu, where it frequents mullet 

 ponds and brackish water generally. When removed from the water tlie.>' s\\'ell 

 up as tight as a drum and remain in this condition until returned to the water, 

 where they will float on their backs in a helpless condition for some time; eventu- 

 ally they collapse and swim off. Cabinet specimens hardened in alcohol will 

 remain in an inflated condition indefinitely. Specimens fourteen inches in 

 length are common. The native name, meaning "sure death," indicates 

 the Hawaiian belief in its poisonous character. The gall doubtless contains 

 an active poison, said by some to have been used on spear-points. Puffers are 

 seldom, if ever, seen in the markets, but are commonly captured in seines in 

 the mullet ponds. They vary greatly in color with age. while in some the body 

 is smooth and in others more or less covered with prickles. 



The Remora. 



The remoras, disk-heads or sucking-fish, •^•'^ while not commonly met with 



"** Sparidce. -" Monutaxis </rand(i<-iiUs. "" Tetraudontidic. ^^ Caiitliiijasteiidif. 

 ■'- Tet.raodon hiapidus. ^a EehenididcB. 



( Dt'urniitimi iif I'liih- ('iiiitiii i(cd innii OiiimKitr I'lK/e.) 



{Holoccntius niicrof<tuinu.s). 5. Swordfish | A 'ii | {Xipliids gladius). (>. Mackerel [Opolu 

 j);ilalui| {Scoinhcr jdponicu.s). 7. Ocean Jiotiito [.\ku| {(li/mnosardd pclamin). 8. Little 

 Tuna or Bonito [KawakawaJ {(li/iiinosarda aUcltcrnta) . 9. Pilot Fish or lioinero {Naucra- 

 Ics (luctor). 10. A Cavalla [Piiakahala] (tV(/Y//i//i(.v afliiiis). 11. 'rincad i'isli [Ulna kilai- 

 kihi] (Alectis ciliaris). 12. Sea Perch | AholelioleJ {Kuhlia niul<j). I'.i. ratahit'a | .Vlalaiia] 

 (Priacanthus alalaua). 14. Porgie [^Iu| (Monotojis (jrandoculis). 15. A HurinuUet | Weke 

 nlaiila ] (Midloldis pdinmcns). l(i. Goat-fisli | Muinu | (I\'«'iidiiiniicit.s hifascialus). 17. A 

 Wrasse Fish [OniakaJ {^Stctliojulis a.iill(iri.s). IS. .\ Wrasse Fish | OpuleJ {Anampses 

 curicr). 



