Orangespine Unicornfish / Hangon
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Orangespine Unicornfish / Hangon
Naso lituratus
Image from Coral Reefs CD
The hangon, as it is called in Chamoru, is a popular foodfish. It is one of a group of so-called unicornfishes that do not develop a horn on the forehead. Most unicornfishes have two pairs of sharp blade-like spines at the base of the tail. These are used for defense and can easily cut the hand of a careless fisherman. The orange color around the base of the tail may serve as a warning to potential predators that it is dangerous to capture and eat.
Adult hangon develop long trailing filaments on the top and bottom of the tail and reach a length of about 12 inches (30 cm), excluding the tail filaments. Hangon inhabit shallow reefs, usually in areas of clear water with a hard-bottom and coral growth to a depth of at least 150 feet (46 m). They feed on filamentous algae that they scrape from the surfaces of dead coral and rock. They occur singly or in groups and sleep among corals at night. Small hangon are suitable as aquariumfishes. Larger hangon are a popular foodfish. They are captured primarily by spearfishing and occasionally by gill net or surround net. At least two other kinds of unicornfishes have a smooth head profile, the smoothhead unicornfish (Naso hexacanthus) and the Gray unicornfish (N. caesius), both called tataga' tahdong, but they lack the orange markings of the hangon.
Guam Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 9/27/2005
