Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 5, 1 May 1988 — Naturally Hawaiian [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Naturally Hawaiian

Deadliest Animal By Patrick Ching Art ist/E nv iron m ent cilist Since Hawai'i became inhabited by humans hundreds of years ago, one animal has been responsible for more deaths than any other by far. Not the venomous yellow-bellied sea snake, nor the lethal scorpion fish; not even the dreaded sharks of Hawaiian waters have claimed more lives than the ferocious .... 'opihi. Actually, as most may well know, there is nothing ferocious about an 'opihi. In fact the most harrh an 'opihi could inflict on a person would be a tiny scratch or a hickey. Besides, "algae on the rocks" is the preferred diet of any 'opihi. 'Opihi, for those who don't know, are mollusk type animals, also known as limpets, that cling to rocks along coastal "splash-zones."

Though the 'opihi themselves pose little threat to humans, the quest for them has led to many deaths throughout the years. More people have died from picking 'opihi in recent years than have died from shark attacks throughout Hawaii's recorded history. The demand for 'opihi has been overwhelming lately with the population of consumers over stressing the population of 'opihi. Many pickers do not heed the legal size restrictions of a one and one-quarter ineh shell diameter whieh is necessary to insure that the limpet has gone through at least one reproductive cycle. As a result the 'opihi population has declined and people are taking greater risks to get them. Those pickers less fortunate or careful may get pounded against the rocks by waves and/or swept out to sea. To avoid such a fate one should foster the utmost respect for the ocean's power and remember that while harvesting 'opihi, it is always smart to keep one eye on the shell and both eyes on the waves.