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Home › Ocean Life › Marine Creatures › Vertebrates › Hawkfish

Fun Facts about Hawkfish Species

[Hawkfish Phylum: Chordata] [Class: Actinopterygii] [Clade: Eupercaria] [Family: Cirrhitidae]

If you see small benthic reef fishes perched "hawklike" on corals or sea sponges, patiently waiting to ambush prey beneath them, most likely they are grouped within the family Cirrhitidae.

This section contains facts and information about hawkfishes, including where they thrive best, what they eat, and how these marine ray-finned fishes reproduce.

Hawkfish Geographical Range and Habitats

Divers with some experience may have already dived around the kind of reef habitats that hawkfishes relish.

They like to hunt in the littoral zones of tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide, but especially:

• Indo-Pacific regions (e.g. coral triangle areas of Indonesia, Philippines)
• Indian Ocean (East Africa, the Seychelles, and the Maldives)
• Eastern Pacific Ocean (e.g. Baja California, the Galápagos Islands)
• Pacific Ocean (Japan, northern Australia, Polynesia, and Hawaii)

Interesting Fact: The redspotted hawkfish (Amblycirrhitus pinos) is the only hawkfish species in the Caribbean and western Atlantic Ocean. Similarly, the West African hawkfish (Cirrhitus atlanticus) is the single representative in the eastern tropical Atlantic.

Cirrhitidae is a mixed family that includes more than thirty (30) different species of hawkfish. They are a common sighting around coral reef formations and coastal rocky shorelines.

Because they often hunt at shallow reef flats, sometimes only one or two metres deep, hawkfish are also strongly linked to certain kinds of microhabitats.

For example, they thrive around branching corals which provide them with a secluded place to perch and ambush their prey, and domains with good water flow to support them with a plentiful supply of small marine crustaceans (e.g. crabs, shrimps).

Hawkfish Characteristics and Behaviour

Cirrhitidae hawkfishes rank among some of the most fascinating reef fishes to watch underwater, especially when they're "hopping" from perch to perch.

Compared with many marine vertebrates examples, it is fair to say they have a small to medium-sized body size, albeit slightly compressed and robust, and it generally ranges between seven (7) and (20) centimetres long.

Still, measuring no more than five (5) centimetres long, the Geometric Pygmy Hawkfish (Plectranthias species) is one of the smallest in the family.

Whereas, Hieroglyphic Hawkfish is the biggest hawkfish and it can grow to sixty (60) centimetres long (24 inches) as a fully matured adult.

But wait - there's more:

Most hawkfish species have a large mouth and many of them also have sharp canine-like teeth that they use to grab crustaceans and small fishes. The most common body colours tend to combine red, orange, and yellow.

Fun Fact: There's an endless supply of funny fish names invented by marine biologists. However, the "perching" hawklike posture of hawkfishes is the justification behind the "bird-like" common name. But the scientific name Cirrhitidae comes from the fimbriated tufts of hair-like filaments (known as cirri) that are often present on their dorsal spines.

What Do Hawkfishes Eat?

Hawkfish are carnivorous predators that like to ambush their prey, and they have mastered the skill of perching on corals and pouncing on vulnerable victims below.

As a consequence of that, they get most of their nutrients from benthic crustaceans and other available sources of food, including:

• Amphipods
• Copepods
• Crabs
• Juvenile coral reef fishes (anthias, damselfish, gobies)
• Marine mollusks
• Polychaete worms
• Shrimps (especially Periclimenes)
• Small fishes
• Zooplankton

The pectoral fins of hawkfish are super thick with stiffened lower rays. The stiffness helps them "perch" on rocks or corals without damaging the delicate structures.

Common Types of Hawkfish Species

How Do Hawkfish Reproduce?

Like many ray-finned marine fish, hawkfishes are protogynous hermaphrodites that develop harems. Their harem usually contains several females and one functioning male.

The dominant male also patrols the coral heads to defend his territory, and to deter other males from entering the den.

Key points:

After a brief display of courtship, these pelagic spawners release lots of buoyant eggs and sperm (gametes) into the water column at the same time - most often at dusk or during the night.

The larvae drift with any floating plankton until fertilisation takes place. This part of hawkfish reproduction takes only a few days before the hatching phase is complete, and adults often spawn multiple times during the breeding season.

Note: This method of reproduction ensures wide dispersal of their offspring. It helps to maintain genetic diversity and the colonisation of new areas. But, it also means many eggs and larvae die, due to unfavourable conditions or predation.

Threats and Predators

Even though some hobbyists keep them as popular aquarium fish, and they tend to live longer in captivity, the average lifespan of hawkfishes ranges between five and ten years in the wild.

Due to their moderate size and abundance, hawkfish are preyed upon by various large marine animals, such as groupers, reef sharks, and snappers.

In addition, octopuses, jellyfish species, and some plankton-feeders target hawkfish larvae and juveniles when they're in shallow water and easily accessible.

Humans also eat hawkfish in sushi and soup for the tasty flavour. Hence, they have become a popular target for fishermen and valued as a food source in many cultures.

Pro Tip: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessed many of the hawkfish phylum in 2015. They cited almost all of the species as being of "Least Concern" (LC). However, they list the White hawksfish (Amblycirrhitus earnshawi) as being an "Endangered" (EN) species with a decreasing population trend in some regions.

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