An underwater hyperspectral imager (UHI) detection system is designed and developed, and a push-broom scan imaging mode was used. The telescope system adopts an image-side telecentric design with 22 mm focal length and 11∘×11∘ field of view. A prism-grating-prism structure was used as the spectral unit of spectrometer system to reduce spectral line bending. The UHI system reaches 5 nm spectral resolution in spectral range from 400 nm to 800 nm, and its modulation transfer function is greater than 0.62 at characteristic frequency in spectral range. An underwater hyperspectral detection experiment was carried out with an electric turntable, and the UHI system is of good imaging quality and spectral resolution, being able to distinguish various underwater targets.