Creature Feature: Spotted Knifejaw

Spotted Knifejaw. Photo Credit: Yumi Yasutake

Another interesting fish more prevalent in the cooler Northwest waters of Hawaiʻi is the Spotted Knifejaw (Oplegnathus punctatus). Reaching up to 28 inches in length these reef fish can sometimes be seen in the Main Hawaiian Islands, most often around Kauaʻi and Niʻihau. They are also found in Japan, Korea, the South China Sea, the Marianas, Johnston Atoll, and Wake Island. Although it is a popular food fish in many areas, caution should be taken as they are a known carrier of ciguatera, a toxin produced by dinoflagellates that affects the nervous system in mammals. Their fused beaklike teeth are adapted for crushing the shells of mollusks which is favorite food for these fish along with algae. Two species occur in Hawaiʻi, the Barred Knifejaw (Oplegnathus fasciatus) being much more rare than the Spotted. It is most always only encountered at the very northernmost end of our State, from Pearl and Hermes Atoll to Midway and Kure Atolls.

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