Did you know that the last name of this goby is Hi'ukole which means "redtail" refers to the male's orange tail?

The O'opu Hi'ukole (Lentipes concolor) is one of the four goby fishes that is endemic to Hawaii. It cannot be found anywhere accept in Hawaii. It eats plants and animal matter. The males have black heads and orange tails. They are best known for their climbing ability. All of the Hawaiian gobies are unique because of their life cycle.

This fish's habitat is usually upper stream reaches. Depending on the island on which it is found, this fish has a different Hawaiian name. It is known as an alamo'o on the island of Hawaii. Mo'o means "lizard-like" because of its head. It is also known as the h'opu hi'u 'ula which translates to "raw tail" and "red tail."

 

This photo shows how different the male and female look while they are breeding. Scientists thought at first that they were distinct species.

 

Back to Past Waterlife