This is the Kyphosus vaigiensis or Brassy Chub
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This is the Brassy Chub. It’s genus is Kyphosus and species is vaigiensis. In Hawaii, it is referred to as a Nenue.
This fish is quite curious and not at all shy. They are grayish in color, oval in shape, have large tails, and small pointed mouths. The Nenue resides in shallow rocky areas where algae is plentiful. Chubs feed on the algae and marine plants. These fish have a long digestive tract and use bacterial fermentation to be able to extract maximum nutrition from their seaweed diets. In fact, they are vital at keeping fast growing algae in check and creating space for the sunlight to reach the coral polyps thus allowing coral growth. They are creating a healthier reef ecosystem.
In Hawaii, there are about six different chub species that can be seen.
The chub above appears to have spots on it. Most are silver or gray, but they can have different patterns that are created by subtle changes in shading or markings. If the chub is agitated or excited, these spots become more noticeable. The Brassy Chub is distinguishable with a faint yellow or brassy color/mark around its eyes, mouth, and gills. Next time you are snorkeling in the shallow area and see large oval gray fish you can feel confident that it is a Chub of some sort.
The image above was taken during a Private Ocean Project Maui Snorkel Tour.
This colorful image was taken off a West Maui Beach by the dedicated staff of Ocean Project Maui. They offer custom, private snorkel tours around the island of Maui, Hawaii. Each #COLORSOFTHEOCEAN image you see in our monthly blog, was captured during a private guided snorkel tour. These amazing images, as well as images above and below the water of the clients/supporters are included in every tour at no additional cost.
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