Maui’s Favorite Fish Guide

Maui’s coral reefs are home to an incredible variety of tropical fish and marine life, including many species found only in Hawai’i. From colorful butterflyfish and wrasses to frogfish, rays, reef sharks, and Hawaiian green sea turtles, there’s always something interesting to look for underwater.

Banyan Tree Divers created this Maui Fish Guide to help scuba divers and snorkelers identify marine life they may encounter around Ka’anapali, Lahaina, and other Maui reefs. Browse the photos and descriptions below to learn more about Maui’s underwater residents before your next ocean adventure.

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Camouflaged Fish · Rays & Sharks · Butterflyfish · Angelfish & Wrasses · More Reef Fish · Sea Turtles · Moray Eels · Octopuses & Lobsters

Maui Reef Fish & Marine Life

Malamalama

Commersonʻs Frogfish

A Commerson’s frogfish blends into the reef at Mala Wharf in Lahaina, Maui.

The frogfish is a master of camouflage. Experienced divers are always on the hunt for these truly alien-like creatures. Frogfish have soft, textured bodies that resemble coral or sponges, and they can change color to match their surroundings. So, you can find frogfish in many colors, such as yellow, brown, orange, and black. Frogfish opportunistically attract unsuspecting organisms with a unique appendage that acts like a fishing lure. While sometimes rare, you can find them at every Kaanapali and Lahaina scuba diving location!

Nohu

Scorpionfish

A scorpionfish rests beside a reef rock on the sandy bottom.

Scorpionfish are masters of camouflage, blending into the rocks and reef while waiting for smaller fish to approach. Their stillness helps them hunt: when prey comes within reach, they open their mouths rapidly and draw it in.

Their dorsal spines can deliver a painful, venomous sting. Enjoy spotting these well-hidden fish without touching them, and keep your hands and knees off the reef.

Ulae

Lizardfish

Two lizardfish rest together on the reef, showing their patterned bodies and prominent mouths.

The lizardfish’s cream and brown colors blend well with the sandy ocean floor. They often bury themselves in the sand, leaving their eyes exposed, and can attack prey from up to 6 feet away! You can find fourteen of the 50 lizardfish species in the Hawaiian Islands.

Pakʻiʻi

Peacock Flounder

A peacock flounder blends into the sand with its flattened body and speckled markings.

This recognizable member of the flatfish family lives up to its name. Juvenile flounders look like regular fish with eyes on either side of their bodies. As they mature, one eye slowly drifts to the other side of the head. Thus, the adult flounder has two eyes facing upward that can rotate in any direction.

Hinimanu

Spotted Eagle Ray

A spotted eagle ray swims over a sandy bottom in Maui.

Spotted eagle rays glide through the water with broad, winglike fins, spotted backs, and long tails. The species found in Hawaiʻi, Aetobatus ocellatus, occurs throughout the Indo-Pacific. These rays use their snouts to uncover food in the sand, feeding on bottom-dwelling animals such as clams, crabs, and other invertebrates. Their tails carry venomous defensive spines, so give them plenty of room as they pass.

The IUCN lists this species as Endangered globally, following an assessment published in 2024. That classification describes its risk across its range, rather than the size of Maui’s local population.

Manō

Whitetip Reef Shark

A whitetip reef shark swims over the reef at Mala Wharf in Lahaina.

Look for the pale tips on the dorsal fin and upper tail to recognize a whitetip reef shark. These slender reef sharks can pump water across their gills while resting, so they do not need to swim continuously to breathe.

Whitetip reef sharks often shelter in caves and crevices during the day, then hunt fish, octopuses, and crustaceans at night. They may return to the same shelter for months or years. Give resting sharks space and leave their route out of a shelter clear.

The species is listed as Vulnerable globally on the IUCN Red List.

Kikakapu

Ornate Butterflyfish

An ornate butterflyfish hovers head-down above the coral reef in Maui.

The Ornate butterflyfish is one of the most photogenic fish in Maui. Its bright, contrasting colors protect it from predators and make for excellent photos. Adults are predominantly found in pairs and stay together for life, earning it the title of the most romantic fish you can see snorkeling or diving in Lahaina.

These fish feed exclusively on coral polyp tissue and avoid corals with seaweed growth. As a result, they can starve in coral colonies that experience heavy algae growth when water temperature and nutrient levels change.

Kikakapu Kapuhili

Raccoon Butterflyfish

A raccoon butterflyfish displays its distinctive black eye mask and yellow body above the seabed.

We call the Raccoon butterflyfish this because the black patches around its eyes resemble a raccoon’s. These nocturnal fish feed primarily on nudibranchs and small invertebrates. You will find them in small schools feeding on algae and coral polyps during the day.

Lau Hau

Threadfin Butterflyfish

Two threadfin butterflyfish swim together beside the coral reef in Maui.

Threadfin butterflyfish have a wide distribution throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Unlike their counterparts in the Red Sea, those found in Hawaiʻi have a black spot on their dorsal fins. They tend to hide more than the ornate butterflyfish and are therefore harder to spot without inspecting underneath the coral.

Lau Wiliwili-nukunuku-oioi

Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish

A yellow longnose butterflyfish swims above coral at Mala Wharf in Lahaina, Maui.

The yellow longnose butterflyfish is very territorial. These monogamous fish aggressively defend their territory by chasing out intruders. Males chase males, and females chase females. Males keep other males from their mates, and females block other females from their food source. But they don’t need to co-parent, since they lay free-floating eggs. So their teamwork significantly increases their survival rate. You can find pairs swimming together for several years!

Kika Kapulauhau

Teardrop Butterflyfish

Two teardrop butterflyfish swim above the coral reef in Ka’anapali, Maui.

These beautifully painted fish feature a black upside-down teardrop on their flanks! Teardrop butterflyfish reach a maximum length of 7.9 inches (20 centimeters). Like other butterflyfish species, they are monogamous. You can observe these fish in shallow coral reefs and lagoons. They feed on both soft and hard corals, as well as small crustaceans and filamentous algae.

Lau Hau

Bluestripe Butterflyfish

A bluestripe butterflyfish shows its blue stripes and bright yellow body above the sandy seabed.

This species is rare and found only in the Hawaiian Islands. It commonly inhabits shallow reef areas, although you can also see the Bluestripe butterflyfish at depths of up to 600 feet. Its distinctive horizontal blue lines along its yellow body make it easy to spot. These omnivorous fish require resource-rich environments with readily available food. As a result, males use a harem system, defending territory that includes up to four smaller females.

Lau Hau

Four Spot Butterflyfish

A fourspot butterflyfish hovers above coral at Mala Wharf in Lahaina, Maui.

This fish’s name comes from the two white spots near its dorsal fin and tail on either side of its body. Four spot butterflyfish feed exclusively on hard corals, and their abundance in a reef system is an excellent indicator of reef health. Recent global climate changes, especially the 2015-2016 bleaching events driven by rising ocean temperatures, have caused noticeable changes in the Four Spot’s reproduction rates.

Lau Hau

Rainbow Butterflyfish

Two rainbow butterflyfish swim together among coral on a Maui reef.

As its name suggests, the rainbow butterflyfish is among the most colorful in the butterflyfish family. We often see these beauties during the Mala Wharf Turtle & Shark Scuba Dive. Their attractive striped pattern, contrasted with jet-black lines, makes them especially enticing to photograph.

Lau Wiliwili

Lemon “Milletseed” Butterflyfish

A milletseed butterflyfish swims beside coral, displaying its yellow body and rows of dark spots.

This small yellow fish has tiny black spots along its flank in a vertical pattern. Although common in Hawaiʻi, you only find milletseed butterflyfish in Hawaiʻi! Twenty-five percent of Hawaiʻi’s reef fishes are endemic to the islands! That is an enormous number, and it is part of what makes diving in Hawaiʻi unique. You find butterflyfish at depths of 800-plus feet.

This schooling butterflyfish species lives in the water column and feeds on zooplankton. It breeds between January and May, and you find juveniles along shallow West Maui coral reefs between April and June!

Potter’s Angelfish

A Potter’s angelfish displays its orange and blue coloring beside the reef.

Potter’s angelfish is another species native only to the Hawaiian Islands. They are rare to see because they are shy. A Male Potter’s Angelfish has bright orange and blue colors! This coloration makes them a favorite among avid scuba divers and snorkelers on Maui. They spend much of their time at “cleaning stations” where they eat algae from the shells of Hawaiian Green Turtles.

The Potter’s angelfish (Centropyge potteri) has no traditional or dedicated Hawaiian common name.

Lolo

Yellowtail Wrasse

A yellowtail wrasse displays its colorful facial stripes, blue spots, and yellow tail beside the reef.

The yellowtail wrasse, Coris gaimard, has a bright yellow tail, blue spots across its body, and colorful lines around its head. It lives around coral, sand, and rubble, where its appearance changes dramatically as it grows. Adults look very different from the orange-and-white juveniles shown later in this guide.

These wrasses search the seabed for small invertebrates. Studies in Hawaiʻi have recorded mollusks, crustaceans, and sea urchins in their diet.

Hinalea Lauwili

Saddle Wrasse

A saddle wrasse swims beside coral, showing its orange saddle marking and blue-green coloring.

The saddle wrasse is one of Hawaiʻi’s most familiar reef fish. Its reddish-orange band behind the head resembles a saddle, contrasting with its blue-green body. Watch its side fins paddle as it moves over the reef searching for small invertebrates.

Saddle wrasses change color as they mature, and some females later become males. These larger males may develop a pale band beside the saddle marking and defend breeding territories.

Lolo

Juvenile Yellowtail Wrasse

With an orange-red body and bold white markings edged in black, a juvenile yellowtail wrasse looks strikingly different from an adult. Despite its clownfish-like appearance, it is the early stage of Coris gaimard.

As it grows, its juvenile markings give way to the adult’s blue-spotted body and yellow tail. Look for these young wrasses around coral, sandy patches, and reef rubble.

Kihi Kihi

Pennantfish or Bannerfish

A school of pennant butterflyfish swims above the reef in Ka’anapali, Maui.

These schooling fish live in the water column and feed on plankton. You see bannerfish eating algae from turtles’ backs! They are easily mistaken for the Moorish idol, which we highlight next. So, bannerfish are sometimes called a false Moorish idol.

Kihi Kihi

Moorish Idol

A Moorish idol swims above the coral reef at Kahekili Beach Park in Ka’anapali, Maui.

Often recognized as the fish from Finding Nemo, this distinct species has beautiful yellow, white, and black markings and an extended dorsal fin. It can grow to an impressive 10 inches long; the older it gets, the less prominent its dorsal fin becomes. In adulthood, you find this Maui fish alone.

The name Moorish idol comes from the Moors of Africa, who believed the Moorish idol fish could bring happiness to one’s life! Although popular in the aquarium trade, this species struggles to adapt to captivity. Moorish idols are picky yet voracious eaters and can become destructive!

Hinalea

Rainbow Cleaner Wrasse

A rainbow cleaner wrasse swims beside coral, showing its yellow, black, and blue-purple coloring.

The Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, also called the rainbow cleaner wrasse, is found only in the Hawaiian Islands. Adults have a yellow front, a dark stripe along the body, and vivid blue and purple coloring toward the tail.

These small fish operate cleaning stations where other fish pause to have parasites, mucus, and dead skin removed. A cleaner wrasse may even enter a larger fish’s mouth to feed. Watching this interaction is a memorable way to see how different reef species depend on one another.

Hinalea I Iwi

Bird Wrasse

A bird wrasse displays its elongated snout and green-blue coloring.

The bird wrasse is easy to recognize by its long, pointed snout. Males are generally green to blue-green, while females have a more subdued combination of pale and darker coloring. Young bird wrasses have shorter snouts than adults.

Their elongated jaws help them pick small animals from gaps in coral and rocks. They feed on prey such as crabs, shrimp, brittle stars, mollusks, and small fish. Watch for them moving along the reef and inspecting crevices as they forage.

Manini

Convict Tang

A small school of convict tang swims above the reef at Mala Wharf in Lahaina, Maui.

Convict tangs are members of the Surgeonfish family. You find this schooling fish widely along shallow reefs in Hawaiʻi. They are herbivores who spend much of their day grazing on seaweed. These algae feeders play a crucial role in maintaining reef health. They stifle the growth of fast-growing algae, which could choke the reef if left unchecked.

Manini was a significant food source for early Hawaiians. In modern Hawaiian slang, Manini can mean “no big thing.”

Lauʻipala

Yellow Tang

A yellow tang swims above the coral reef in Kaʻanapali, Maui.

These brightly colored yellow fish are among the most recognizable Hawaiʻi reef fish. Like the convict tang, Yellow tangs are members of the surgeonfish family. They use the blades at the end of their tails to defend their territory and ward off competitors.

Yellow tangs are a popular choice of fish in the aquarium trade. As of 2021, Hawaii has banned the collection of aquarium fish pending further environmental review. This controversial dispute is ongoing.

Uhu

Parrotfish

A colorful parrotfish swims above the coral reef in Ka’anapali, Maui.

These easily recognizable fish are common inhabitants of shallow reefs. You can distinguish parrotfish males by their bright blue, green, pink, and yellow colors. Their sharp front teeth graze on delicate seaweeds that grow on rocks and dead corals. Indeed, parrotfish bite off chunks of coral and grind them into fine sand. Estimates indicate that large parrotfish produce up to 1 ton of sand per year, making this species crucial to sand production and coral reef health.

Nunu

Trumpetfish

A close view of a trumpetfish beneath the sunlit surface at Mala Wharf in Lahaina, Maui.

It is easy to see where the trumpetfish gets its name. Their long bodies stalk the coral bed and stealthily attack prey by widening their jaws and sucking the victim up into their almost transparent bodies. The Nunu sometimes follow schools of surgeonfish feeding on tiny organisms forced from cover as they graze along the reef.

Kala

Bluespine Unicornfish

A bluespine unicornfish swims over the reef at Mala Wharf in Lahaina, Maui.

Bluespine unicornfish are common tangs. They have bluish-grey bodies with blue spines at the base of each tail. A short, bony horn protrudes from their forehead, hence their name. They can grow up to 27 inches in length.

Kala was a significant food source in ancient Hawaiʻi. Hawaiians could also make a small knee drum by stretching the kalaʻs tough skin over half a coconut.

Umauma Lei

Orangespine Surgeonfish

An orangespine surgeonfish swims above the coral reef, with smaller fish scattered through the blue water.

The orangespine surgeonfish is another fish essential to the health of Hawaiʻi’s shallow reefs. It grazes on algae, keeping them from getting out of control. Its grey body boasts two orange spines on either side of the base of its tail and yellow coloring on its face.

Humuhumunukunukuapua’a

Rectangular Triggerfish

Two rectangular triggerfish swim above the reef in Ka’anapali, Maui.

This solitary triggerfish is the Hawaiʻi state fish! The rectangular triggerfish has a famously long Hawaiian name, which you might overhear at the beach during your visit to Maui. Rectangular triggerfish are plentiful and a common sight for snorkelers and scuba divers in Maui. The aggressive-minded fish spends its day digging for invertebrates buried in the sand. They chase other fish out of their territory or sometimes flee a predator by making grunting noises to warn other triggerfish. They are incredibly aggressive when guarding eggs.

Humuhumunukunukuapua’a

Picasso Triggerfish

A Picasso triggerfish swims close to the sandy bottom in Maui, Hawaiʻi.

While not dangerous, the Picasso triggerfish can appear quite aggressive. It is known to chase scuba divers and snorkelers when guarding its nest. Although they are small and unlikely to do any harm, you should try to keep your distance. Certified divers can explore these reefs on a guided scuba dive in Kaʻanapali with a local dive professional.

Alo’ilo’i

Hawaiian Damselfish

Hawaiian damselfish gather above the coral reef in Kaʻanapali, Maui.

Hawaiian damselfish, also called Hawaiian dascyllus, have pale bodies framed by darker fins and edges. This species occurs in the Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll, living around shallow coral and rocky reefs. Males establish nesting sites and guard and aerate the eggs.

Although males normally provide parental care, females sometimes help defend a nest, particularly when the male is absent, or the eggs face greater pressure from predators. Their breeding behavior is more flexible than a simple division between male and female duties suggests.

Humuhumuhiʻukole

Pinktail Triggerfish

A pinktail triggerfish showing its distinctive pink tail and yellow pectoral fin.

You can find these beauties swimming in shallow water. Pinktail triggerfish grow up to 16 inches long. They are one of the largest triggerfish species!

Honu

Hawaiian Green Turtle

Hawaiian green sea turtle swimming in Maui.

Known in Hawaiʻi as honu, green sea turtles feed and rest around coastal reefs. Adults eat mainly algae and seagrasses, and their name comes from the greenish color of their fat rather than their shells. Like all sea turtles, they breathe air and must return to the surface.

Most Hawaiian green turtle nesting takes place at Lalo, also known as French Frigate Shoals, in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Some nesting also occurs in the main Hawaiian Islands. A turtle resting on a Maui beach may simply be basking—it is not necessarily nesting.

Hawaiʻi’s green turtles remain listed as Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. NOAA recommends staying at least 10 feet away, both on land and in the water. Never touch, feed, or chase turtles; let them surface freely.

Puhi

Whitemouth Moray Eel

A whitemouth moray eel peers out from a coral crevice in Ka’anapali, Maui.

The whitemouth moray has a brown body covered in small white spots and a distinctive pale mouth. Found throughout much of the Indo-Pacific, including Hawaiʻi, it feeds mainly on fish and also eats crustaceans.

Morays have an unusual feeding adaptation: a second set of jaws inside the throat. After the outer jaws seize food, these inner jaws move forward to grip it and pull it back for swallowing.

Look for morays peeking from reef crevices, and give them space. Observe without touching, feeding, or reaching into their shelter.

He’e Mauli

Day Octopus

A day octopus rests among rocks and coral at Olowalu, Maui.

A day octopus can be surprisingly difficult to spot, even when it is close by. It changes its skin’s color, pattern, and texture to blend into the surrounding reef. Its diet includes crabs, shrimp, marine snails, and occasionally fish.

Day octopuses use holes and crevices as dens and may gather loose rocks around the entrance. Look carefully among reef rocks and rubble for an eye or an arm that reveals their hiding place.

If you find one, pause and watch without touching or coaxing it out. Giving an octopus room lets you enjoy its natural movements and remarkable camouflage.

A Hawaiian saying from the 19th century:

Pua ke kō, kū mai ka heʻe

When the sugarcane flowers, the octopus appears

Ula

Red Reef Lobster

A red reef lobster (Enoplometopus occidentalis), also known as the Hawaiian lobster, sheltered among reef rocks.

The red reef lobster, Enoplometopus occidentalis, has an orange-red body decorated with white spots and a prominent pair of claws. This species occurs across the Indo-Pacific, including Hawaiʻi, and is often observed at night on coral reefs.

These shy, nocturnal lobsters can be difficult to spot. Take your time looking into reef crevices without reaching inside or disturbing their shelter.

Ula-Papapa

Slipper Lobster

A slipper lobster blends into a reef crevice with its mottled shell and broad, flattened antennae.

Slipper lobsters in Hawaiʻi lack large claws and reach about 7 inches. Referred to as the “insects of the ocean,” slipper lobsters donʻt discriminate in their food source, only when they eat. This lobster species forages for food at night. They can grow up to 20 inches in other parts of the world.

Where Can You See Maui’s Reef Fish?

Many of the fish featured in this guide can be found along Maui’s shallow coral reefs, including dive sites around Ka’anapali and Lahaina. What you encounter varies by location, conditions, season, and a little bit of luck—that’s part of what makes every dive different.

Certified divers can explore our Maui scuba diving experiences to compare guided reef dives, Mala Wharf, night diving, and other shore diving options.

See Maui’s Marine Life for Yourself

Learning to recognize Maui’s reef fish can make scuba diving even more rewarding. Once you know what to look for, colorful butterflyfish, wrasses, surgeonfish, camouflaged frogfish, and other reef residents become easier to spot.

Never been scuba diving before? Our Beginner Scuba Diving experience is designed for first-time divers with no certification required.

Already certified? Explore our guided Maui scuba diving experiences and discover West Maui’s reefs with a local dive professional.