Saturday, May 9, 2015

Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa

Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa
Watercolor, Pen and Ink on Arches 140lb. Hot Press
 Matted in a 5 x 7'' Ivory Matt
$45

Rhinecanthus rectangulus

The Wedgetail Triggerfish, also commonly known by its Hawaiian name Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, is the Hawaiian State fish.  Humuhumu is a term in the Hawaiian language that refers to all triggerfish and means “to stich pieces together,” and may refer to the geometric patterns found on the fish.  Nuku means “blunt,” and pua’a means “pig,” so, in other words, a Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa is a triggerfish with a blunt snout like a pig.  The Wedgetail Triggerfish measures up to 10 inches (25 cm) and feeds on bottom-dwelling reef invertebrates and algae.         

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