Hawaii’s state fish has a name that is every bit a handful to pronounce, and it is no wonder since the name is a whopping 21 letters long. This fish is the humuhumunukunukuapuaa! This long name is what makes this fish especially popular. Although the name can sound pretty intimidating, breaking it down into the phonetics makes the pronunciation much easier: Humu-humu-nuku-nuku-a-pu-a-a (hoo-moo-hoo-moo-noo-koo-noo-koo-ah-poo-ah-ah)
In short, the locals refer to this fish as the humuhumu making it much easier for them to bring it into a discussion. It is also popular as the reef triggerfish while this unique name is given by the locals because of the shape of its snout and the queer sound that it makes. In the local dialect, humuhumunukunukuapuaa means “the fish that snorts like a pig” owing to the grunting sound that it makes through its strangely shaped nose.
In scientific terms it is known as the Rhinecanthus rectangulus since it is one of the many triggerfish indigenous that are indigenous to the region of the South Pacific.
Characteristics of the State Fish
Though it has a pretty big name, the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa is actually a very small fish measuring only 8 inches in size. Some of the attributes it possesses are as follows.
Defensive attributes
The reef triggerfish has rough scales on its body that gives it an extra layer of protection. It also comes in handy each time the fish wants to hide itself among the rocks. It has a tough physical structure and a unique shape and size that allow the humuhumu to swim into small rock crevasses so that it can hide from predators.
Another one of its great defensive attributes is the humuhumu’s ability to alter the pigments on its scale. Just like all other triggerfish, it possesses the ability to camouflage itself allowing it to blend into the surroundings and disguise them to avoid predator attacks.
Eating habits
The humuhumu scouts around for food by scooping up a mouthful of sand and spitting out the undesirable and inedible elements back out onto the ocean floor. They can also blow jet streams out of their mouth for sifting through the sand quicker than usual. This prevents them from becoming food while they go around searching for food.
What made the humuhumu Hawaii’s state fish?
The only reason why Hawaii decided to adopt the humuhumu as their state fish was because the place was abundant in them. The bill was passed in 1985 but expired in 1990, thus robbing the fish off its status. Moreover, many people have the opinion that this should not be treated as the official fish of Hawaii since it is not indigenous to the Hawaiian coast unlike the other species that you can find in the area.
The humuhumu has never served as a source of nourishment or food to the natives of Hawaii. It is believed that the ancient people used this fish more as an option for fuel rather than anything else. Some believed that this was a good reason for this fish to be made the state fish yet again since it was not in demand for sports or food, unlike the mahimahi or opakapaka. Putting a popular fish in that position would be detrimental both for the economy and peace of the country as the species would get enlisted as protected, preventing them from being caught.
Taking into account the opinions of the people, Governor Oshiro reinstated the Humuhumunakunakuapuaa as the official state fish of Hawaii in 2006, and it holds on to that honor till date!