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Hawaiian flagtail (Kuhlia sandvicensis) — Kuhliidae

Hawaiian flagtail

Kuhlia sandvicensis
Family: Kuhliidae

The Hawaiian flagtail (Kuhlia sandvicensis) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Kuhliidae that grows up to 25 cm.

Length
25 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
0.0–20.0 m
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Hawaiian flagtail is a flagtail (Kuhliidae) from coastal and brackish water around the Hawaiian Islands in the central Pacific. The species grows to about 25 cm and has an elongate, bright-silvery body with large eyes and a dark-edged, forked tail. As a nocturnal, schooling fish it lives in tide pools, bays and river mouths and hunts small crustaceans and insects. It is a food fish. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Hawaiian flagtail?

The Hawaiian flagtail has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Hawaiian flagtail live?

The Hawaiian flagtail lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around mixed bottom.

How big does the Hawaiian flagtail get?

The Hawaiian flagtail grows to a maximum of about 25 cm.

Is the Hawaiian flagtail dangerous to humans?

No, the Hawaiian flagtail is harmless to humans.

Is the Hawaiian flagtail edible?

Yes, the Hawaiian flagtail is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Hawaiiaanse vlagstaart sourced
English name
Hawaiian flagtail sourced
Scientific name
Kuhlia sandvicensis
Family
Kuhliidae
Other names
Hawaiian flagtail verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
25.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Mixed bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
20.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Kuhlia

More from the family Kuhliidae

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