Flagtail - Aholehole

Flagtail - Aholehole
Silvery fish with a delicate flavor and tender texture; swims in dense schools close to the reef.

Flagtail, or aholehole, is an ordinary-looking, slivery fish that usually swims in a dense school and remains close to the reef for protection from larger fish. It often feeds at night on zooplankton. The flagtail has a delicate flavor and a tender texture; it is both affordable and good eating. People usually want to scale and gut this fish, but after it's filleted, it doesn't yield much meat. The best way to prepare it is to simply pan fry it until it's thoroughly cooked, then serve it with a sauce of shoyu and Hawaii chili pepper water on the side.