Notoriously hard to observe as they tend to dash around excitedly, Lauhau, often form long-term, monogamous pairs, which is rare for fish. Obligate feeders of hard coral, they may be picky eaters, but they do eat their cauliflower – well, cauliflower coral polyps, that is. As they hover above the coral, their rows of bristle-like teeth, characteristic of butterflyfish, help them pick out the tiniest organisms to eat. The fourspot butterflyfish can be found in exposed seaward reefs throughout the Northern Pacific, in Hawaii and French Polynesia.
Their name refers to the four rounded, eye-shaped spots, two on each side, which help them avoid predators by intimidating them or diverting attacks to less sensitive parts of the body. Magicians of the sea, their spots disappear at night so they blend into the darkness. The top half of their body where the spots reside is dark brown, with yellow-orange below punctuated with dark spots that fade underneath. The tail and head are yellow, with a dark brown and orange stripe through the eye, and they get up 15 cm.
• Rubber sole
• 100% polyester fabric lining
• Black Y-shaped rubber straps
