The first time I saw this fish was in Mexico as a kid and it was hanging in a store window all puffed up covered in resin! At that time I was not sure if it was a real fish or a piece of art. Twenty years later I got to see my first live one underwater at night, and when it puffed up it just blew my mind as I could not believe a fish could do that!
This amazing fish is similar to the pufferfish, and they can grow up to 28 inches long. They normally are slow-moving, and when threatened they gulp down water and inflate to a size that is so big they can’t be swallowed by a predator like a shark or large ulua (jack).
Their sharp spines become erect within seconds and they look like a totally different fish. When the threat leaves they simply expel the water, deflate and go on their way.
This fish also has another line of defense because it is poisonous for most animals to eat, including humans! Apparently, kokala will get eaten by a big tiger shark so maybe the poison does not affect them, but to humans, it is deadly! The toxin known as tetrodotoxin is one of the most potent natural toxins known.
This chemical occurs in a layer right below the skin and a layer of fat. Fishermen should never try to eat this fish but there are restaurants in Japan that cook it up for a very expensive meal. The chief has to be licensed to serve this dish, as they are highly trained to remove the toxic layer and eat the remaining fat layer. Seems very crazy to me, but in Japan it is considered quite a delicacy!
The porcupinefish has a funny way of swimming, as its dorsal fin is mounted way toward the back of its body and the fish moves like a duck walking in a waddle-like movement. With their big head and moon-like eyes for seeing at night they look almost like a cartoon character. But don’t be fooled into touching one, as they have huge jaws for eating clams, crabs, lobsters and even spiny sea urchins, and they can bite a diver’s finger off!
During the day, you find kokala sleeping under rocky ledges or in dark caves, and at night they are out in the open feeding. The Hawaiian name “kokala” means “the thorns on the edge of the lauhala (pandanus) plant.”
You can see kokala in action in a movie, “The World’s Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fish,” at www.underwater2web.com, and also swim with this cool fish in a summer marine science camp coming soon with the nonprofit Reef Guardians Hawaii.
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Terry Lilley, a marine biologist, lives in Hanalei. His websites include underwater2web.com and www.gofundme.com/5urrm4zw.
