Hawaiian Creatures

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a (Rhinecanthus rectangulus) is a rectangular Reef triggerfish whose Hawaiian name means 'triggerfish with a snout like a pig'. This fish was considered a symbol of Hawaii and became a global sensation in 1933 when the song My Little Grass Shack hit the radios and movies. Although our State fish is indigenous (found in the Indo-Pacific), It was first declared the Hawaii State fish from 1985-1990. It was permanently declared Hawaii's State fish in 2006 by the Governor of Hawaii.  The Reef triggerfish is commonly found in captivity and when found in the wild, it is alone. It has teeth and a blue top lip.  As stated in its name, this fish has a snout like a pig and grunt (squeel) with fleeing from predators. The snout is used to blow water into the sand to find buried invertebrates for their food and other edible organisms. The triggerfish is considered aggressive and have been known to bite swimmers that are in their area.  The Reef trigger...

Touchardia  latifolia , or Olonā in Hawaiian, is a type of flowering shrub that grows in the valleys and wet forests at elevations of 70-1200m. Olonā is endemic to Hawaii and can be found on most islands of the archipelago with the exceptions of Ni'ihau and Kaho'olawe. It is such a unique plant that it belongs to an endemic monotypic genus, that is, a genus having only one species. Meaning that this genus is one of kind - and only found in Hawai'i.  Hawaiians would the fibers of this tree were to make cordage and are considered the strongest natural fibers on earth. Olonā cordage was extensively used in weaponry, building and construction, net making, sailing and so on.  Words to know:  Endemic - Plants or animals of a certain species only found in particular place in the world. Indigenous - Plants or animals that naturally arrived to a certain area, but can be found in other parts of the world.  Introduced -Plants or animals of ...

The Hawaiian goose, or Nēnē is an endemic species of goose of Hawaiʻi. These birds are thought to be ancestors of the giant Hawaiian goose, Nēnē-nui. Nēnē are mixture of brown feathers showing on itʻs body with black and white stripes mostly on its neck. The Nēnē can only be found on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai and Hawaiʻi.  As the state bird, Nēnēʻs are highly symbolized by native Hawaiian activist and groups.  Nēnēs are endangered, having around less than 2,500 left on the Hawaiian islands. Slowly the population is increasing because of conservation efforts and has been brought back from the brink of extinction in the 1950ʻs. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nene_(bird) https://greenglobaltravel.com/endangered-species-spotlight-nene-goose-a-k-a-hawaiian-goose/

The Hawaiian Monk seal is a marine mammal endemic to the main Hawaiian Islands as well as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Their scientific name is Neomonachus schauinslandi, while Native Hawaiians would call them "'īlio holo i ka uaua", which means ʻdog that runs in rough waterʻ. These big guys have a life span is 25 to 30 years and can weigh up to 400 to 610lbs. Unfortunately, the Hawaiian Monk Seals are endangered. Monk seals have been around for a very long time, they are the oldest species of seals on the planet. "They belong to the genus called Monachus and are one of three that belong to this genus family. The other two are Caribbean monk seal and Mediterranean monk seal. The Caribbean monk seal has been extinct since 1952." Mediterranean monk seals are more endangered than the Hawaiian monk seals, having only roughly 500 remaining compared to 1,400.  Btw Hawaiian Monk Seals like to be isolated, hence the "monk" in their name.  ...

The Hawaiian Happy Face Spider (Theridion grallator) or in Hawaiian, nananana makaki'i is endemic to Hawai'i. It can be found on the islands of O'ahu, Moloka'i, Maui, and Big Island. The spider can differ in pattern from island to island depending on their diet but still maintains a "happy face" on its body which helps the spider camouflage against birds and other predators. You can find the spider in the rainforests of the islands beneath leaves of plants where it builds its webs and hunts for food at night.  https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/happyface_02 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theridion_grallator                                      https://www.flickr.com/photos/treevillage/8038460590

Acacia koa, known as Koa is a species of tree endemic to the Hawaiian islands most commonly  found on Maui, Kaua'i, and Hawai'i island.  Koa is the largest native tree of the Hawai'i growing to heights of over 100ft, and 20-30ft at lower elevations.  Used for its sturdiness, koa is used for furniture, crafts, and veneer. However, koa trees are easily vulnerable to lawnmowers and "weed wackers", and once damaged rot will tend to set in.  Sources: http://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Acacia_koa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_koa https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_koaia