ʻAmaʻama Life Cycle
pua ʻamaʻama, pua, poʻolā, ʻoʻolā
finger length
kahaha
hand length, 5-8 inches
ʻamaʻama
8-11 inches
ʻanae
12 inches up to 20 inches
ʻanae holo
running or travelling (migrating) on ʻOahu travelling from ʻEwa along the south and east side of the island to Laʻie
ʻanae pali
clif mullet; returned from migration
Names: ʻAmaʻama, Mugil cephalus, Striped mullet
*Peak spawning: December - March
Photos: Larry Winnik & Gavin Iwai
Allow me to introduce the ʻamaʻama.
When female ʻamaʻama are about 11 inches long, they start to be able to produce eggs. ʻAmaʻama spawn from December to March.
In old Hawaiʻi, there were so many ʻamaʻama that you could see the schools of fish from land as they travelled around the island.
BONUS: If you want to learn more about about how ʻanae traveled around the island of Oahu: Read the story below from a Hawaiian newspaper from 1908.
Artwork: Cassidy Lum & Anne Rosa
To skip the story, click next page.