Spotted Hawkfish

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Broadly distributed in the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and Madagascar to the Philippines, north to southern Japan, and south to Australia. Inhabits coral reefs, rocky areas, and weed beds at depths of 5 to 40 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the genus Cirrhitichthys. Reaches a maximum size of 12.5 cm (5 inches). Features a stocky body, blunt head, and strong pectoral fin rays adapted for perching. No swim bladder.

Social Behavior: Semi-aggressive. Sedentary ambush predator. Spends hours perching on rocks and will aggressively drive off other hawkfishes or similarly-sized competitors.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Light body covered with large, irregular dark brown or reddish-brown blotches and vertical bars. A dark black blotch is usually present on the gill cover. No visible sexual dimorphism.

Aquarium Setup: Needs a tank of at least 150 liters with stable live rock formations creating shelves and lookout points. A tight lid is essential to prevent jumping.

Diet and Feeding: Voracious carnivore. Naturally feeds on small fish and crabs. Feed meaty foods like mysis, brine shrimp, chopped clams, fresh shrimp, and carnivore pellets.

Water Quality: Very hardy and tolerant. Maintain standard ranges: temperature 24-27°C (75-81°F), pH 8.1-8.4, specific gravity 1.022-1.025, GH 15-25, and KH 8-12.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Reef-safe with corals. NOT compatible with ornamental shrimp (such as cleaner shrimp), small crabs, or tiny hermit crabs. May prey on small gobies.

Aquarium Reproduction: Unrecorded in home aquaria. Pairs perform pelagic spawning rises at sunset. Rearing the larvae requires specialized micro-feeds.

Risks and Diseases: High jumping risk. Very resistant to common diseases, but its predatory nature makes it a threat to small invertebrates.