Priacanthus meeki is a species of marine ray finned fish, a bigeye in the family Priacanthidae. It is a red fish found in the Hawaiian and Midway Islands. It grows to a size of 33 cm in length. Common names are Hawaiian bigeye in English and Hawaiian: ula lau au in the Hawaiian language. It, and other species of its family, may also be called Hawaiian: ʻāweoweo in Hawaii.
Its specific name honors the American ichthyologist Seth Eugene Meek (1859-1914).[1]
The Hawaiian Bigeye is a red ray finned fish that gets its name from its noticeable feature, Its big eyes. The body outline is slightly elongated, the forehead and trailing edge of the tail is slightly concave, and the soft fin rays lack spots. Fishermen would often use flashlights to spot them due to the Hawaiian Bigeye having very reflective eyes making them easy to find at night.[2] [3]
Priacanthus meeki can be found in the Eastern Pacific: Hawaiian and Midway Islands; a single juvenile specimen recorded from the Galapagos Islands. Strays can reach Johnston Atoll (Ref. 9710). There were also reports from Japan but are probably misidentifications of Priacanthus hamrur.[4] ‘Āweoweo are often found in caves and under ledges during the day at around 3 to 230 m in depth. The sand lances occur over sandy habitats.[5]
The cultural significance of the Hawaiian Bigeye is that the Hawaiian name Hawaiian: ‘āweoweo has more than one meaning. In Hawaiian culture, dualism is an important aspect. An example of one such dualism can be found in comparing the plant and fish who share the common name Hawaiian: ʻāweoweo. The meaning of this name can be deciphered by breaking apart the words that comprise the name: Hawaiian: ʻā refers to "burning fire" and Hawaiian: weo, which is reduplicated, refers to "red" or "redness" and the plant is said to have a fishy smell.[6] The āweoweo is mostly fished recreationally by many. The method to catch some āweoweo is to wait till sunset due to them being mostly active at night, then use a hook and line with squid, shrimp, and glowing grubs as the bait.[7]