Saturday, January 28, 2006

"Where the humuhumunukunukuapuaa go swimming by."







Everyone thought the humuhumunukunukuapuaa was Hawaii's state fish. As it turns out, the brightly colored fish with the excessively long name has been
dethroned.

The stubby-nosed, brightly striped and slightly aggressive little fish whose name few tourists even try to utter (it's pronounced HOO-moo-HOO-moo-NOO-koo-NOO-koo-AH-poo-AH-ah) is commonly believed to be the state's favorite. The fish figures into tourist trinkets, broadcast commercials and a much-beloved song about a little grass shack.

"It won't be long 'till my ship will be sailing back to Kona, a grand ole place, I always long to see, I'm just a little Hawai'ian and a homesick island boy, I want to go back to my fish and poi, I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawai'i, where the humuhumunukunukuapuaa go swimming by."

A tourist favorite, for sure, and probably the first song most haole wahines learn to do the hula.


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