Fish ID?

Found this while snorkeling in Hawaii today. It looks like a young stonefish to me, but I'm a noob to tropical saltwater fish, and I've read a few comments on other sites suggesting Hawaii doesn't have stonefish.

Can anyone here make a positive ID for me please? Thanks.

http://photoshare.shaw.ca/image/c/8/e/249638/d10_016_fishy-0.jpg?rev=0

Leif

 

It may be known by another name but yes Hawaii does have it's own version of Scorpaenidae.

Collection of fish and corals in Hawaii is heavily regulated. Those caught with collected specimans are taking a huge risk, not to mention the negative impact on the Marine environment.

Cool fish but very hard to find unless you are right on top of it unfortunately.

 

Thanks! Yes, I posted on a few different forums, and the concensus seems to be that it is some form of stonefish or false stonefish, both venomous apparently.

I appreciate the warning, but rest assured that I'm just checking out nature's aquarium, and only collecting pictures. This particular fish was sitting on a pile of rocks inside lagoon #2 at the Ko Olina resort area (ironically, man-made). It was about 6" long and I spotted it from about 8-9 feet away, and approached to about 3 feet for a picture. Saw an eel in the same lagoon.

Leif