The O'io or Short Jawed Bonefish

The o'io or Short Jaw Bonefish, Albula glossodonta, is typically found in shallow reef flats and sandy bays through 100 ft. I've generally seen this fish traveling in small schools of around 20 or fewer individuals. They are smart, inquisitive fish, often circling the diver for closer inspection (in protected areas). They are capable of great speed and put up quite a fight if caught on rod and tackle.

This particular fish was part of a school of 2-3 ft. long fishes that was circling me as I spun counter-clockwise on an axis with my little underwater-cased canon at minimum zoom snapping pictures of them as they passed by around 1-3 feet from the camera. It's quite a trip, especially once you've figured out how to pivot in skin diving gear. I'm sure it made a nice show from the breakwater above. I had both knees bent, one flipper out in mid-air, the other keeping me spinning...I'm not sure if I could explain how to do it if I tried. LOL. You'll just have to try it yourself!

O'io for dinner?

Bonefish, O'io, Albula glossodonta. O'io are fast swimming fish that live off of crabs, shrimp, small fish and crustaceans. True to their name, they're pretty bony so the locals scrape the meat off the bones and make them into seasoned fishcake patties. This nice man was willing to pose with a huge O'io (bonefish) that he had just caught with a thrownet (you need to be realy fast to catch an O'io with a thrownet so he's pretty doggone talented in my book). He said he was having O'io fishcake for dinner.