This beautiful, shallow-water reef fish is wonderful to watch as it zooms around in the surf, but you do not want to touch one! Tangs are in the surgeonfish family and they have a razor sharp spine near their tail that can cause a deep cut on your hand if you get too close.
This beautiful, shallow-water reef fish is wonderful to watch as it zooms around in the surf, but you do not want to touch one! Tangs are in the surgeonfish family and they have a razor sharp spine near their tail that can cause a deep cut on your hand if you get too close.
Often fishermen will catch one and try to remove the hook or spear not realizing the Achilles tang can be dangerous. It is super easy to know where the spine is located because of the bright-orange, tear-drop-shaped patch that surrounds the spine.
These 10-inch-long fish are very territorial and are constantly in motion as they flow with the surf over the shallow reef. They feed on algae that grows on the reef, and you most often see them in pairs, but sometimes they will congregate in larger groups. Paku‘iku‘i also hangs out with other types of tangs and surgeonfish in larger, mixed-species schools that may have over 100 fish in them.
They do this to over power the smaller fish that live on the reef and protect their little patch of algae they farm and eat.
Tangs and surgeonfish play a very important part to help keep Hawaiian coral reefs healthy. Corals and algae are always in a battle for space on the reef. The tangs and surgeonfish graze on the algae, which then gives room for the corals to grow!
Paku‘iku‘i has two very interesting names. The Hawaiian name refers to how the Hawaiians use to catch this fish by slapping the water and scaring them into a net.
The name “Achilles tang” comes from the Greek warrior Achilles, which symbolizes grace, beauty and valor, and anyone who snorkels and watches this fish will know how it got its name!
You can see paku‘iku‘i in action up on the underwater educational web page at www.underwater2web.com and in the movie, “The World’s Guide To Hawaiian Reef Fish.” Young ones can visit the Achilles tang in person at the nonprofit coral reef kids camp at www.reefguardianshawaii.org. Those inerested in learning more about this fish or other marine life may follow the daily marine life Instagram post at terry.lilley
•••
Terry Lilley is a marine biologist and Hanalei resident, and can be reached at underwater2web.com or gofundme.com/5urrm4zw.
