The reef triggerfish, known in Hawaiian as the humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa or just a humuhumu, is a colorful fish native to Hawaii’s waters. The Waikiki Aquarium website says the reef triggerfish is known for its unusual way of swimming, in which it moves by making wave-like motions with its top and bottom fins.
According to the Waikiki Aquarium, the name humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa comes from “humuhumu” or “to fit pieces together,” which is what all triggerfish are called and refers to the blocks of colors present in some species’ color patterns. This is combined with “nukuāpua‘a” or “snout like a pig,” referring to the pig-like way the reef triggerfish roots in sand and rocks for food.
In addition to Hawaii, the reef triggerfish can also be found in the other parts of Polynesia, as well as Australia, Micronesia, Melanesia, the East Indies, the coast of Africa and even the Red Sea, according to the Animal Diversity website. The fish have even been found in Japan.
A Hanauma Bay fansite, hanauma-bay-hawaii.com, explains that reef triggerfish have sharp teeth and spines that can potentially injure humans if handled. They are also aggressive towards divers and other fish and are especially territorial of nesting females. According to the same website, reef triggerfish make pig-like grunting sounds that can be heard by snorkelers.
The website for Project Hoko Kama‘aina, run by the Hanalei River Heritage Foundation, says the reef triggerfish is involved in several aspects of native Hawaiian culture. One example is the belief that when a baby is born with dark birthmarks, it means that the mother ate reef triggerfish during her pregnancy.
The website also highlights another story from Hawaiian culture that connects the reef triggerfish with the fertility demigod, Kamapuaʻa. Kamapuaʻa married the goddess of volcanoes and fire, Pele, but she discovered that he was merciless and decided to rid herself of him. After fighting a great battle, Kamapuaʻa escaped by diving into the ocean and turning into a reef triggerfish.
The reef triggerfish was made the state fish of Hawaii from 1985 until 1990, when the law expired. In 2006, it was reinstated as the state fish permanently, according to the Hawaii State Legislature website.