Beautiful
Hawaiian
Marine life
brought to you by
LET'S GO
SHORE DIVE'N'
on the
Kona Coast

RACCOON BUTTERFLY FISH (Chaetodon lunula) The Hawaiian names for this beautiful fish are: La-u ha-u, Ki-ka ka-pu, and Ka-pu hi-li.. It is also known in marine life circles as: Lunule or Crescent-masked Butterfly Fish. This robustly colored fish is easily recognized by its face, which actually does resemble a raccoon. It is colored with various shades of yellow and white and is marked by three, significant, black bands. There is a vertical black band through the eye, a second black moon-shaped band which curves smoothly from the upper side of the body toward the eye, and a third black area at the base of the tail. These fish can reach seven inches in length (and we've seen them as large as eight inches, believe it or not). We have seen these wonderful specimens in schools of 100s - but seldom see them now in groups larger than 12 or 15. Often we see one alone - and it appears to be looking for others. They used to be abundant right off the breakwater at Kahalu'u - but now are seldom seen there at all. We miss them. This fish can be seen from Hawaii southward to central Polynesia and westward throughout Micronesia, Melanesia, across the Indian Ocean to the coast of Africa and even in the Red Sea, so this is a small world, isn't it?