[6] In addition to its culinary uses, the ʻopihi shell was utilized as jewelry, plant fertilizer, and a tool for scraping mi, a type of edible taro root.

[6] While men were typically responsible for fishing on coral reefs and offshore waters, women and children collected various molluscs, sea urchins, and seaweeds from intertidal and nearshore areas, including the highly prized ʻopihi.

A Hawaiian proverb translates to "the ʻopihi is a fish of death," highlighting the risks involved in collecting this delicacy from its wave-swept rocky habitat.

[7] In the past, Hawaiian ʻopihi collectors adhered to a set of regulations established by community resource managers known as konohiki.

[8] These regulations were designed to maintain robust ʻopihi populations by restricting the size, number, species, locations, and times of harvesting.