Mike in the Wild

One common fish on Hawaii's coral reefs is the surgeonfish, a member of a large and varied family of fish.  And one specific species you're guaranteed to encounter is the orangespine unicornfish.  Most members of the surgeonfish family sport sharp, scalpel-like spines at the base of their tails, giving them the ability to inflict deep cuts as a defense against predators.  Often brightly colored and displayed, they're more often than not used as an effective warning than as a weapon. True-to-name, the orangespine unicornfish's spines are indeed orange, and impossible to miss when you first see him.  Usually solitary, he's been a fun subject to photograph on my frequent snorkels off of Maui.  And on a 4th of July visit to Kapalua Bay, I was surprised to meet a large school of maybe one hundred individuals swimming at the south end of the bay, close to the  breakwater.  For a minute or so - only as long as they allowed me - I swam above and beh...