These are the English names of the more commonly encountered nearshore fish we’ve mentioned on this website. We’ll continue to update this list as needed.
- aha – houndfish or needlefish. Viewed as a pest because it scratches up baits and lures.
- ahi – Yellowfin tuna or bluefin tuna over 100lb. Under 100lb it’s called “shibi”.
- aholehole – Hawaiian flagtail. A flat, silver sided fish that grow up in brackish estuaries and lives in reef crevasses as an adult.
- aku – Skipjack tuna.
- akule – Bigeye scad. In the mackeral family. Grown version of halalu.
- ‘ala’ihi – Various squirrelfish.
- ‘ama’ama – Native Hawaiian striped mullet.
- awa – Milkfish. Herbivore sometimes confused with the smaller awa aua.
- awa aua / awa awa – Hawaiian ladyfish.
- aweoweo – Bigeye. Has big eyes because it’s a nocturnal fish. One of the “red fish”, along with menpachi.
- halalu – Juvenile bigeye scad.
- hinalea – The lowly wrasse family, known for being slimy and easily caught. Most aren’t very tasty but the nabeta (Japanese name) is part of this family of fish.
- kahala – Greater amberjack.
- kagami papio/ulua – African pompano. Has a flat, shiny body that resembles a mirror. “Kagami” is Japanese for mirror. Considered a rare, delicious catch.
- kala – Bluespine unicornfish.
- kaku – Great barracuda. Stinky, toothy fish that is actually pretty tasty.
- kawakawa – Mackeral tuna.
- kawelea – Heller’s barracuda (deeper water version). Milder tasting than kaku.
- kole – Gold ring surgeonfish. Prized for how it tastes fried/grilled, but has been implicated in ciquatera poisoning episodes.
- kumu – Whitesaddle goatfish. Considered the best eating for all the goatfish, followed closely by moana kali.
- laenihi – Peacock wrasse, razor fish, more commonly referred to the Japanese name “nabeta’. Arguably the best eating nearshore fish. Fried whole with scales on to a golden brown.
- lai – Leatherback. Makes great sashimi and the dried skin can be used in lures.
- mahi mahi – Dolphinfish, dorado.
- manini – Convict tang.
- mamo – Hawaiian sergeant.
- menpachi –
- moana – Manybar goatfish.
- moana kali – Blue goatfish. Very beautiful and delicious to steam fish. Now it’s more common that the highly prized, easier to catch, kumu.
- moi – Pacific threadfin. One of the best fish to steam. Was reserved for Hawaiian royalty.
- mu – Bigeye emperor, a type of snapper with human-like molars.
- munu – Island goatfish. A stouter goatfish, ranked in the top 4 of best eating.
- nohu – Scorpionfish. Has deadly spines but is good eating.
- nunu – Trumpetfish.
- oama – Juvenile goatfish. Oama bring the nearshore predators into the shallows, within reach of anglers.
- oio – Bonefish.
- omilu – Bluefin trevally. Most common papio.
- opelu – Mackeral scad. Everything in the deep eats this fish.
- opelu kala – Sleek unicornfish that lacks the horn.
- palani – Eyestripe surgeonfish.
- pananu / ponuhunuhu – Star eyed parrotfish.
- pao’o pa’o – Golden trevally.
- papio – Juvenile (under 10 lbs) in the trevally family.
- poo’paa – Stocky hawkfish. Nicknamed “rock fish” because it perches on rocks and waits for food to pass by.
- puhi – Various moray eels.
- roi – Peacock grouper. Invasive. Implicated in ciquatera poisoning episodes.
- shibi – yellowfin tuna or bluefin tuna under 100lb.
- taape – Blue-lined snapper. Invasive.
- toau – Blacktail snapper. Invasive.
- uhu – Parrotfish.
- uku – Gray snapper, blue green jobfish. Tastes similar to opakapaka, maybe a touch fishier, because it lives in shallower water.
- ulua – Jack fish over 10 lbs. Usually ulua are mature giant trevally since that’s the largest of the related species.
- uouoa – Native mullet, smaller than ‘ama’ama and not striped.
- u’u – Soldierfish. Also called menpachi.
- weke – The common “white weke” or square spot goatfish. Most oama seen are of this type.
- weke nono / weke moelua – Pflueger’s goatfish. The bigger, striped, deeper water red weke.
- weke ula – Literally means red goatfish. This is the shallow water weke that looks like the “white” weke but is nocturnal and can turn reddish. It is a little thicker than the white weke but doesn’t seem to get as long.
- white papio – Juvenile giant trevally under 10 lbs.