Tag Archives: surgeon fish

Tangs and Chubs

Schools of surgeon fish, chubs, and other reef fish search for food and friends at a coral reef in Maui. The coral here is mostly made up of hard corals, which really come to life in the night.

The gray chubs in the background are tightly schooled together giving each one the best chance for safety and food. The Achilles tang pictured here are about the size of a small dinner plate, while the yellow tang are more like a saucer.

Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), black Achilles tang (Acanthurus achilles), and chub (species indeterminate)

Photographer: David Burdick

Crown of Thorns

Crown of thorns and orangespine unicornfish

While snorkeling in Hawaii’s clear waters, it can be easy to overlook the elegant and fascinating Crown of Thorns Seastar (starfish). This second-largest seastar is found in tropical reefs all around the world, with a few different varieties. read more