Kuhlia sandvicensis

Kuhlia sandvicensis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Kuhliidae
Genus:	Kuhlia
Species:	K. sandvicensis
Binomial name
Kuhlia sandvicensis (Steindachner,1876)
Synonyms
Moronopsis argenteus sandvicensisSteindachner, 1876 Dules sandvicensis(Steindachner, 1876) Moronopsis sandvicensis(Steindachner, 1876)

Kuhlia sandvicensis,thereticulated flagtail,zebra-headed flagtailorHawaiian flagtail,is a species ofray-finned fish,aflagtailfrom thefamilyKuhliidaewhich is found in the central Pacific Ocean. It is popular as agame fishand can also be found in theaquariumtrade.

Description

Kuhlia sandvicensishas a relatively small eye with a near straight dorsal profile of the head and a strongly forkedcaudal finIn theanal finthe third spine is slightly longer than the second. They are silvery in colour with a silver and black reticulated pattern on the top of the head and the margin of thecaudal finis blackish.Thedorsal finhas 10 spines and 11-12 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 11-12 soft rays. This species has attained atotal length of 25 centimetres (9.8 in).

Distribution

Kuhlia sandvicensisis found in the Pacific Ocean aroundHawaii,Pitcairn Island,Tuamotu,Wake Island,Rapa,Society IslandsandKiribati.

Habitat and biology

Kuhlia sandvicensisis common in Hawaii where the young are quite numerous along rocky shores, in tide pools, and in and around the mouths of streams which are connected to the sea. The juveniles are often observed under wharves, in more sizeable tide pools, as well as in both brackish and freshwater ponds, and streams. The adults occur in caves in wave-swept coral reefs, in the surf zone at the base of cliffs and in wrecks. They will infrequently form as schools in more open water.Although this species is found in both marine and freshwater habitats they do not require any time in freshwater to complete their life cycle.They feed on fishes, aquatic invertebrates and insects.

Taxonomy

Kuhlia sandvicensiswas thought to beendemicto Hawaii and to be the only species of flagtail present there, but in the 1990s ichthyologists independently noted two species which were separated morphologically and genetically. One had a black and white "zebra pattern" on its head while the other had a plain head. The plain headed species was identified as the previously forgottenKuhlia xenura,thetypeof which had been erroneously labelled as being from El Salvador.They also found the zebra-headed flagtail to be widespread in the Pacific and that the plain headed one was the endemic Hawaiian species.

In Hawaiian culture

InHawaii,the common name isʻāholefor the mature fish andʻāholeholefor the juvenile. The name is probably derived from the wordholein theHawaiian languagewhich means "to strip away", since the fish was used to "strip away" evil spirits and as anaphrodisiac.A proverb was, "He ʻāhole ka iʻa, hole ke aloha",meaning roughly" ʻāhole is the fish, but love is restless ". It was also sometimes known aspuaʻa kai,literally "pig of the sea". European visitors were sometimes calledʻāholedue to their pale skin.Aholehole is an important food fish in the Hawaiian Islands and they were frequently featured in traditional ceremonies byHawaiian people.

The current location ofKona International Airport,Keāhole Point,is named after this fish, because it was found in this area.