Sleek / Bluetail Unicornfish

Kauaʻi evidence

Authoritative Hawaiʻi DAR guide/regulatory record; inclusion does not by itself assert a precise Kauaʻi occurrence site.

Names and classification

Scientific name

Naso hexacanthus

Common names

Sleek / Bluetail Unicornfish

Hawaiian names

ʻŌpelu kala

Family

Acanthuridae

Order

Perciformes

Record type

species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Hawaiian waters; included in the Kauaʻi-relevance checklist

Origin

Indigenous

Conservation status

Not yet assessed

Evidence date

2026-09-13

Evidence limits

Kauaʻi-specific detail is explicit: statewide/Hawaiian reference is not converted into a false site-level occurrence claim.

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Reef slope and open-water reef edge

Food and resource needs

Species-specific diet; see source record

Reproduction

Species-specific spawning and recruitment requirements; Kauaʻi-specific detail varies

Shelter

Reef slope and open-water reef edge

Threats and conservation

Threats

Fishing pressure, habitat change, water quality, climate stress and food-web change as applicable

Conservation actions

Appropriate habitat protection, fishery stewardship and monitoring as applicable

Monitoring

Retain Kauaʻi occurrence, abundance, size, life-stage, seasonal and attendant ecological observations

Data gaps

Kauaʻi-specific occurrence frequency, abundance, seasonality and micro-ecosystem relationships should be expanded when direct records are contributed.

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Local seasonality not quantified in current source

Seasonal description

Sleek / Bluetail Unicornfish is a Kauaʻi-relevant Hawaiian fish documented by authoritative sources.

Sources and further reading

• Marine Fish — Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources

Explore field guides

• Reef Fish of Kauaʻi