Critter of the Month





With over 500 marine species swimming, diving and floating throughout the Waikiki Aquarium, it’s hard to focus one’s attention on all the marine residents. This year, visitors will have the opportunity to come face to fin with some of the ocean’s most beautiful creatures as the Aquarium highlights 12 species through its Critter-of-the-Month program.

 



  This month is the Slingjaw Wrasse
 

 

 

 
 

It is a fast act. The slingjaw wrasse can shoot out its tube-like mouth half the length of its body - sucking up unsuspecting fish, shrimps and small crabs in the blink of an eye! When not in use, the extensible jaws snap back under the head.
Like many wrasses and parrotfishes, slingjaws can change sex. They start out female but may turn into a male if conditions are right. Females are typically smaller and are solid yellow or brown in color. Males are larger with a light gray head with dark lines radiating from the eye.
Rare in the Main Hawaiian Islands, slingjaws are more common in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. They are also found from the Red Sea and Eastern Africa, through the tropical Pacific and up to Japan. Slingjaws have been known to swim above the reef at dusk hiding like leaves in floating debris. The debris often drifts to other reefs, which may help to explain their distribution across the tropical Pacific. 

You can see slingjaw wrasses in Gallery 2- Northwestern Hawaiian Islands exhibit and in Gallery 4- Marine Protected Areas exhibit.  


 
 
 
 
  Photo by: Alice Keesing