This name is literally translated as flourishing-(in the)-leeward calm. It is in reference to the first—and currently, only—place this species is found, the ʻAuʻau Channel between Maui and Lānaʻi. In the lee of the West Maui Mountains, this channel is known for its calm, as the name ʻAuʻau (to swim) alludes to a tranquil sea that enables one to swim from one island to the other. This species thrives on the floor of the ʻAuʻau Channel, and it can be found there in broad and luxuriant seaweed beds.
