Flame Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Neocirrhitus armatus
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 9cm
Identification: Brilliant red; broad zone of black on back, also black ring around eye.
Favourite: Solitary and wary.
Hide-out: Perch among branches of Pocillopora and Stylophora branching corals. Clear seaward reefs in 1-10m.
Location: West Pacific - Philippines, Sunda Is. in Indonesia to Samoa and Phoenix Is. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Yellow Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Paracirrhites xanthus
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 11cm
Identification: Yellow; short diagonal black line behind eye.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Perch among branches of Pocillopora coral on exposed outer reefs in 3-25m.
Location: Central Pacific - Phoenix Is. and Tuamotu and Society Is. in French Polynesia.

Halfspotted Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Paracirrhites hemistictus
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 28cm
Identification: Pale Variation - Brown to yellowish brown or gray on head and body; white mid-lateral stripe with yellow below, numerous dark spots on upper body.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Perch in corals on clear, exposed seaward reefs in 1-18m.
Location: East Indo-Pacific - Cocos-Keeling I. to Marquesas Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Freckled Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Paracirrhites forsteri
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 22cm
Identification: Colors quite variable, most commonly shades of brown; numerous small spots 'freckles' on head and forebody, brown striped area toward rear of body.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Perch on corals in coastal, lagoon and seaward reefs in 1-35m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Marquesas Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Arc-Eye Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Paracirrhites arcatus
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 13cm
Identification: Shades of brown; arc-shaped marking of orange, red and blue lines behind eye, 3 orange dashes on lower edge of gill cover, broad white stripe on side to tail.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Perch on coral heads of coastal, lagoon and seaward reefs in 1-35m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Hawaii and French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Lyretail Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Cyprinocirrhites polyactis
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: Orange-brown with faint brown freckling; forked tail.
Favourite: Solitary or form groups.
Hide-out: Unlike other hawkfishes, which feed on the bottom, hover in mid-water feeding on plankton over steep slopes and coral outcroppings in 10-132m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - E. Africa to Australia, north to S.W. Japan.

Longnose Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Oxycirrhites typus
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 13cm
Identification: Long 'needle-nosed' snout; white with red bars and stripes forming netted pattern of squares.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Perch among branches of black coral and gorgonian sea fans on steep outer reef slopes in 12-100m, usually below 25m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea to Hawaii and Panama. S.W. Japan to Great Barrier Reef.

Splendid Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Cirrhitichthys splendens
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 23cm
Identification: White undercolor with dark brown body blotches; red spots on head are elongate on nape, spotted tail.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Seaward reefs in 5-30m.
Location: Southwest Pacific - N. New South Wales, Lord Howe, Norfolk and Kermadec Is.

Pixy Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 9.5cm
Identification: White undercolor with irregular red-brown spots on body and fins.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Coastal, lagoon and outer reefs to 40m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Panama. Mariana Is. in Micronesia to Australia.

Golden Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Cirrhitichthys aureus
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 15cm
Identification: Yellow to orange to pale brown undercolor; may display darkish blotches, pale-edged dark spot on gill cover.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Outer reef drop-offs, often on sponges, usually below 20m.
Location: Asian Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to S.W. Japan.

Marbled Hawkfish

Scientific Name: Cirrhitus pinnulatus
Family: Hawkfishes - Cirrhitidae
Maximum Size: 28cm
Identification: Blotchy brown with white spots on body. One of the larger hawkfishes.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Seaward reefs in wave-affected areas to 3m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Rapa and Marquesas Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.