Pūhi Among Pink Stone

At French Frigate Shoals, a snowflake pūhi eases from a lava crevice framed in brilliant pink coralline algae. Its cream-and-dark pattern breaks apart against the textured reef.

The eel follows scent more than sight, searching patiently among the rocks for a nighttime meal. Its open mouth is not a threat but the steady breathing of a reef hunter moving through clear water.