ʻŌʻili in Pink Coral

Beside a stand of pink wire coral, an ʻōʻili holds its place in the current, speckled body pale as sand and tail spread wide like a paper fan. The tall spine on its head stands up like a tiny flag.

Filefish are the reef's quiet oddballs — slow, curious, and shaped like nothing else. When danger comes, they wedge into a crevice and lock that spine in place, and nothing can pull them out.