Fish Species

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This Guide references each species’ scientific, common and Hawaiian name, its spawning months and if known, its legal size.

Legal Size Limit Key:
HC = Home Consumption
CS = Commercial Sale

TL = Total Length: Straight-line distance from tip of snout to tip of tail.
FL = Fork Length: Straight-line distance from tip of snout to fork of tail.
CFL = Curved Fork Length: Tip of the upper jaw to the fork of tail measured along the contour of the middle of the body.

  Species Peak Spawning Months Minimum Size
LAU‘ĪPALA
YelIow Tang
Zebrasoma flavescens		 MAR-JUL HC & CS = NONE
‘ĀLO‘ILO‘I
Hawaiian Dascyllus
Dascyllus albisella		 JUL-OCT HC & CS = NONE
LAU WILIWILI
Milletseed Butterflyfish
Chaetodon miliaris		 FEB-MAR HC & CS = NONE
MANINI
Convict Tang
Acanthurus triostegus
 FEB-JUN HC & CS = 5"
KŪMŪ
Whitesaddle Goatfish
Parupeneus porphyreus		 JAN-JUN HC & CS = 10"
‘Ū‘Ū
Menpachi
Myripristis species		 APR-JUNE HC & CS = NONE
WEKE‘Ā
Yellowstripe Goatfish
Mulloidicthys flavolineatus
 APR-JUNE HC = None
CS = 7"
‘OAMA = Weke‘ā<7" bag limit 50 ‘Oama
WEKE‘ULA
Yellowfin Goatfish
Mulloidicthys vanicolensis		 MAR-JUN HC = None
CS = 7"
KOLE
Goldring Surgeonfish
Ctenochaetus strigosus		 MAR-JUN HC & CS = NONE
ŌPELU
Mackerel Scad
Decapturus macarellus		 APR-AUG HC & CS = NONE
AKULE
Big Eye Scad
Selar crumenophthalmus		 JULY-OCT HC = None
CS = 8.5"
*Illegal for non-dealers to possess or sell more than 200 lbs of Akule smaller than 8.5" during
July-Oct.
ĀHOLEHOLE
Hawaiian Flagtail
Kuhlia sandvicensis
 DEC-JUN HC & CS = 5"
UHU
Parrotfish
Scaridae		 JUNE-NOV
(Bullethead Uhu)
AUG-NOV
(Palenose Uhu)		 HC & CS = 12"
KALA
Bluespine Unicornfish
Naso unicornis		 MAY-JUN HC & CS = 14"
AKU
Skipjack Tuna
Katsuwonas pelamis		 APR-AUG HC & CS = NONE
ULUA & PĀPI‘O
Giant Trevally
Caranx ignobilis		 MAY-AUG HC = 10"
CS = 16"
*The bag limit is 20 for recreational take only. No commercial bag limits.
A‘U KŪ
Swordfish
Xiphias gladius		 MAR-JULY* HC & CS = NONE
‘AHI
Yellowfin Tuna
Thunnus albacores		 MAY-SEP HC = None
CS = 3 lbs
A‘U
Striped Marlin
Kajikia audax		 MAY* HC & CS = NONE
ONO
Wahoo
Acanthocybium solandri		 APR-SEPT* HC & CS = NONE
A‘U
Shortbill Spearfish
Tetrapturus angustirostris		 MAR-JUL/NOV* HC & CS = NONE

A‘U
Blue Marlin
Makaira nigricians

 JULY-SEPT* HC & CS = NONE
‘OPIHI MAKAIAULI
Black-foot ‘Opihi
Cellana exarata		 DEC & JUNE HC & CS =
Shell diameter = 1.25"; meat only = 0.5"

Spawning months for pelagic (open ocean) species, such as Swordfish, Shortbill Spearfish, Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin, and Wahoo, were determined through the collection of eggs and larvae from surface plankton tows in waters adjacent to the Kona coast.

For more information regarding legal size limits, see http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/admin_rules.html.

Additional fish species and applicable state regulations can be found at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/regulated_fish_mfv.html.

For a list of regulated fishing sites on Hawai‘i Island, visit http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/regulated_areas_hawaii.html.