The Lagoon Triggerfish

I've written before that no single fish epitomizes snorkeling on Hawaii's reefs more than the reef triggerfish. This state fish of the Aloha State has an Hawaiian name that means triggerfish with a nose like a pig. And it's almost impossible not to spot this animated resident each time you swim in the shallows.

I was excited last year to encounter one of its cousins for the first time, the lei triggerfish, which is almost identically sized and shaped but with plainer markings. And on this year's return trip to Maui I was surprised to find a new member of the family, but one that is maybe flashier in appearance than the reef triggerfish. It's the lagoon triggerfish, sometimes called the Picasso triggerfish. With more stripes and vibrant colors, no wonder it's named after an artist.

Triggerfish are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the families of fish that live on Hawaii's reefs; surgeonfish, butterflyfish, puffers and wrasses are just a few more that populate the shorelines of these isolated volcanic islands. But it's the humuhumus, as the Hawaiians call the triggerfish, that keep me coming back for new discoveries.