Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & J.G.Schneider, 1801)
- Dataset
- English Wikipedia - Species Pages
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- species
- Rhinecanthus rectangulus
Abstract
The reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus), also known as the rectangular triggerfish, wedgetail triggerfish or by its Hawaiian name humuhumunukunukuāpuaa (, meaning 'triggerfish with a snout like a pig',humuhumunukunukuapua'a. humuhumunukunukuapua'a. (n.d.) American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). Accessed on The Free Dictionary. Retrieved on 2015-05-18. also spelled humuhumunukunukuapua'a or just humuhumu for short), is one of several species of triggerfish. It is found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific and is the state fish of Hawaii. The name humuhumunukunukuāpuaa serves for both singular and plural descriptions. The fish shares its Hawaiian name with the lagoon triggerfish (R. aculeatus), another fish also found in the Indo-Pacific.
Description
The triggerfish's teeth and top lip are blue and the teeth are set close together inside its relatively plump mouth. It has a small second dorsal spine which is used to lock its main spine into an upright position. When sheltering in a small crevice, this locking of its spine helps protect the fish against being extracted by a predator. When fleeing from predators, it sometimes makes grunting noises, possibly to warn other nearby triggerfish.April True or Fool Quiz. Maui Ocean Center (2015-03-31). Retrieved on 2015-05-18. The triggerfish can blow jets of water from its mouth to help it find benthic invertebrates buried under the substrate. It can often be seen spitting sand from its mouth to sift through the material for edible detritus or organisms. Reef triggers, up to 30 cm in length, are fairly aggressive and generally do not tolerate conspecific individuals in their general vicinity; thus the fish is often solitary. This is particularly true in captivity. They have the ability to rapidly alter their coloration. They can fade into a relatively drab appearance when sleeping or demonstrating submission, while their coloration is often the most vivid when they are healthy and unthreatened by their surroundings. They have also been known to bite and attack swimmers in their area, often around the ankle, sometimes leaving marks.
File:Wedgetail Triggerfish, juvenile - Rhinecanthus rectangulus (10913246303).jpg|Juvenile reef triggerfish File:Reef Triggerfish.JPG|Adult in [[Hāʻena State Park]] File:Reef trigger fish. (11111536093).jpg|The [[lagoon triggerfish]], which shares the Hawaiian name ''humuhumunukunukuapuaa'' with the reef triggerfish.
File:Wedgetail Triggerfish, juvenile - Rhinecanthus rectangulus (10913246303).jpg|Juvenile reef triggerfish File:Reef Triggerfish.JPG|Adult in [[Hāʻena State Park]] File:Reef trigger fish. (11111536093).jpg|The [[lagoon triggerfish]], which shares the Hawaiian name ''humuhumunukunukuapuaa'' with the reef triggerfish.
Hawaii state fish
The reef triggerfish was originally designated the official fish of Hawaii in 1985,Hawaiian Bill 1982 Retrieved 2011-05-17 but due to an expiration of a Hawaiian state law after five years, it ceased to be the state fish in 1990. On April 17, 2006, bill HB1982 was presented to the Governor of Hawaii, which permanently reinstated the reef triggerfish (humuhumunukunukuāpuaa) as the state fish of Hawaii.HB1982 Measure History. Capitol.hawaii.gov. Retrieved on 2015-05-18. The bill passed into law on May 2, 2006, and was effective upon its approval.House Bill. Capitol.hawaii.gov. Retrieved on 2015-05-18.Hawaii may honor long-named fish - Weird news. NBC News (2006-04-18). Retrieved on 2015-05-18. Decades prior to official recognition, humuhumunukunukuāpuaa were considered a symbol of Hawai'i. The song My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii includes the line " . . .where the humuhumunukunukuāpuaa go swimming by . . ." It is also featured prominently in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical 2.
Name
- Homonyms
- Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & J.G.Schneider, 1801)
- Common names
- Humuhumunukunukuapuaa in англійська