Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 1, 1 January 1994 — Ke ao nani [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ke ao nani

Naturally Hawaiian

by Patrick Ching artist/environmentalist

Moi, the king of fish

Ehuehu kai, noho ka moi (where the sea hroils, there the moi fish āwell). 'Olelo No'eau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings, Bishop Museum Press Hawaiian fishermen are quite

tamiliar with the i foamy moi grounds in their area. Their trained eyes ean spot the bluish-colored schools of moi even in the most turbid water. The moi is sil-ver-grey in color and has several

dark stripes running laterally the length of its body. Its nose is pointed and transparent and its pectoral fins taper into feelers whieh it uses to scare up food from the ocean's floor. Its meals consist primarily of crustaceans and small fish. Hawaiians have several names to describe the different sizes of moi. Some of the eommon ones

are moi-li'i (little moi), pālā-moi(gTow'mg into moi), and woi'(adult). The average moi weighs about two or three pounds and is about 18 inches long. The official world record

| is a sevenp o u n d e r caught by Harry Paik of Kaua'i. Some old-time fishermen say that moi may grow to weigh over 10 pounds and ' nearly three

feet long. Present-day kapu prohibits the taking of moi during June, July and August. The minimum legal size limit is seven inches. According to Don Heaeoek of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic resources, "Moi are protandric. They change sex. Until they are about nine inches

long they are neither male nor female. At about nine inches long they become sexually mature males. They remain males until they're about 12 inches long, then change into females for the rest of their lives." Heaeoek goes on to say that "Other species of fish, including marlin, also go through the same

process. If the largest members of the species are the egg-laying females then the species ean propagate itself more efficientiy" The moi is reputed to be one of the best-tasting fish in the sea. This I ean personally vouch for, having tasted just about every type of fish I have been able get my hands on. Today, one of the

most popular ways to prepare moi is to steam it "Chinesestyle." In aneienī times it was usually eaten raw, dried or wrapped in ti leaves and cooked in an imu. Because it was such a highly esteemed fish, the moi was reserved for high chiefs and royalty.

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Moi: Pacific Threadfin fish