On Oahu, gobies are getting hard to find. Over 95% of streams have been modified, and the introduction of non-native species such as swordtails, guppies, and catfish make them further vulnerable due to competition for prey and habitat.
Today's inspiration comes from Hawaii's remarkable 'o'opu wai, the stream gobies. They are Hawaii's only native freshwater fish, and four of them are endemic - found nowhere else in the world. What makes them so amazing? Well, for starters, they are amphidromous, meaning they spend part of their lives in freshwater and part in the ocean. When the fall rains cause streams to swell, the 'o'opu go with the flow, literally, and swim downstream to spawn. The newly hatched larvae get swept into the ocean, where they become part of the plankton, and they eat, and get eaten by, other plankton. After a few months, the hinana, as they are called, make their way back to the streams, and take on a new challenge: to swim upstream against powerful currents. Some of these guys can climb vertically up waterfalls to reach the higher elevations. Gobies have been found at elevations over 500 meters! They accomplish this daunting task with some help from fused pelvic fins, which form a suction cup. Using their mouth and this special sucker, slowly but surely they make their way up the steep falls. The various 'o'opu are found in different sections of the streams. 'O'opu 'alamo'o is the number one climber, and is found in the mid and upper sections of streams. 'O'opu nopili (pili meaning to cling) are found just below them. This species was a favorite food of Hawaiians and was also used in ceremonies. It was also believed that 'o'opu nopili would help luck to cling.
On Oahu, gobies are getting hard to find. Over 95% of streams have been modified, and the introduction of non-native species such as swordtails, guppies, and catfish make them further vulnerable due to competition for prey and habitat.
1 Comment
Matthew Thurman
3/27/2017 01:48:22 pm
I would like to get a really great picture of 'O'opu, freshwater goby by Peter del Bosque as a large print, maybe around 8x12 if possible. Would you be able to make one and sell it to me and send it in the mail?
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