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Hawkfish

30 October 2009

The hawkfish family Cirrhitidae is a small one, containing only some thirty-odd species, but several of those species have become very popular aquarium fish. In general they are small, colourful, peaceful, and easy to keep. Provided they are kept with appropriate tankmates, they are good additions to both community tanks and reef tanks.

Description

Most hawkfishes are relatively small fish, a few species get to between 30-40 cm in length, for example the Giant Hawkfish Cirrhitus rivulatus, but most are around 10-15 cm long when fully grown. They average hawkfish is somewhat cichlid-like in shape, with a laterally compressed body, spiny fins, and large eyes. The snout is sometimes elongated, extremely so in the case of the Longnose Hawkfish Oxycirrhites typus.

Hawkfishes are bottom dwelling fish that rely on camouflage to avoid being seen. The species most popular with aquarists are coloured with red spots or bands, but there is considerable variation within the family. Hawkfishes are poor swimmers and have a reduced swim bladder. They spend most of their time perching on rocks or hiding in crevices, waiting for food to drift into range. They have spines in their pectoral fins that they use as props to hold themselves in place.

Distribution and ecology

Most hawkfishes come from the Indo-Pacific region; only a few come from the tropical East Atlantic and Caribbean regions. They are predominantly fish of shallow water reef habitats. They hunt during the day, and at night seek refuge deep within their hiding places.

Hawkfishes are protogynous hermaphrodites; in other words, individuals begin as females, and only the dominant fish in a particular area becomes a male. Spawning takes place in midwater, the eggs and fry developing in the plankton.

Social behaviour

Hawkfishes are predators, so tankmates should be chosen accordingly. They will eat fish and crustaceans small enough to fit into their mouths. Things like cleaner shrimps, small crabs, gobies and other bite-sized animals will be eaten given the chance. To be on the safe side, choose tankmates at least two-thirds their body length. Molluscs, echinoderms, tubeworms and corals are ignored, and hawkfishes can be considered reef-safe.

Under aquarium conditions hawkfishes are essentially solitary. They will become territorial, and can be belligerent towards other members of their own species (and other hawkfish species). Once established, they may take exception to similar-looking fishes added to their tank, so they're best added to the tank last of all. Otherwise, these fish are extremely easy-going, and make superb community tank residents.

Diet

Hawkfishes are predatory, but adapt readily to a wide variety of foods including frozen, freeze-dried, and even flake foods. As with other fishes, the best approach is to offer them as varied a diet as possible. Krill, mysis, brine shrimp, squid, prawns and lancefish are all readily accepted.

Healthcare

In general hawkfishes are extremely hardy and easy to maintain. As with any marine fish, the main thing is to choose a healthy specimen, and then to quarantine it carefully before adding it to the display tank. Quarantining is especially important if the hawkfish is to be added to a tank with live rock or invertebrates, since medications used to treat marine whitespot can't be used in such systems. Hawkfishes are not particularly prone to disease, and given good conditions, live long and healthy lives in well maintained aquaria.

Commonly traded species

Amblycirrhitus pinos is known as the Red-spotted Hawkfish or Ruby Hawkfish. It is one of the few species from the Tropical Western Atlantic. It has variably brown and white bands along the flanks, red spots on its face, and two black blotches close to the tail, one beneath the second dorsal fin and the other going around the caudal peduncle. The trailing edge of tail fin is red. This colourful and hardy species gets to a maximum length of about 10 cm.

Cirrhitichthys falco is called the Dwarf Hawkfish on account of its small size, around 7 cm when fully grown. Although small, it is just as predatory as the other hawkfishes, but by the same token, it is just has hardy. It is found across the Indo-Pacific from the Maldives to New Caledonia. The Dwarf Hawkfish is white with red bands on its head and flanks, and large red spots on the body and fins.

Cirrhitops fasciatus is the Red-barred Hawkfish. It has a very wide distribution, from Madagascar across the Indo-Pacific as far as Hawaii. As its name suggests, it is essentially white with thick red bands across the flanks. It is an adaptable species that does well in aquaria.

Neocirrhites armatus is the very popular Flame Hawkfish. This fish is tomato-red in colour, with a black band running along each flank, somewhat below the dorsal fin. Maximum length is about 9 cm. Hardy, but sensitive to oxygen-poor conditions.

Oxycirrhites typus is known as the Longnose Hawkfish. This extremely popular species is characterised by its long, beak-like snout. It is white with a criss-cross pattern of red stripes and bands. While it looks delicate, this species is actually very hardy, and highly suitable for community and reef tanks provided tankmates are not so small they would be viewed as food. Distributed across the Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea to Hawaii. Maximum length is 13 cm.

Paracirrhites arcatus is known as the Arc-eye Hawkfish. It is a relatively big species, getting to 20 cm in length. It is found across the Indo-Pacific region from East Africa to Hawaii. Although hardy and easy to keep, its size limits the selection of tankmates it can be kept with. Its common name comes from the curved marking behind its eye. The species is highly variable in colour, the body colour may be brown, red, pink, or yellowy-green. In addition, there is usually an elongate white bar running part way along the flank and onto the caudal peduncle.