Blackside hawkfish
An Indo-Pacific ambush predator with variable coloration.
The blackside hawkfish (Paracirrhites forsteri) goes by the common names freckled hawkfish and Forster's hawkfish. This marine ray-finned fish belongs to the family Cirrhitidae. Its range covers the Indo-Pacific region. While it shows up occasionally in the aquarium trade, it also holds minor value for local commercial fisheries. It can reach a total length of 22 cm (9 in).
French naturalist Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider first formally described this species in 1801, naming it Grammistes forsteri. The type locality is Vaitahu on Tahuata Island in the Marquesas Islands. The specific name honors Johann Reinhold Forster, a Polish-born German naturalist who served on James Cook's second voyage aboard HMS Resolution. Forster had described the fish as "Perca taeniatus" in an unpublished manuscript.
This fish has a dorsal fin with ten spines and eleven soft rays, plus an anal fin with three spines and six soft rays. Its coloration varies widely among adults and changes as the fish grows. The main body color is usually yellowish, with a broad black or dark brown band running along the rear half of the body. The head's sides and front body are whitish or grey, dotted with red speckles. Juveniles in Asia may appear reddish on the back, while those in Oceania tend to have golden-green upper parts and white undersides.
The blackside hawkfish lives throughout the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific. Its distribution stretches from East Africa and the Red Sea to Japan, New Caledonia, and Australasia. In Australia, it occurs from northwestern Western Australia, around the northern coast, down to the Queensland–New South Wales border. It inhabits the seaward side of reefs and soft-bottomed lagoons, down to depths of 30 m (100 ft) or more.
This species is an ambush predator. It typically waits on a coral head, propped up by its stiff pectoral fins, ready to dart out at passing crustaceans or small fish. Mostly solitary, it can also appear in pairs or form small harems with one dominant male and several females. Like other hawkfish, it is a sequential hermaphrodite: adults start life as females, but if the dominant male is lost, the largest female in the group changes sex to replace him.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Paracirrhites forsteri
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The blackside hawkfish was first formally described in 1801 as Grammistes forsteri by the French naturalist Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider, with the type locality given as Vaitahu on Tahuata Island in the Marquesas Islands. The specific name honors the Polish-born German naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster, who served as a naturalist aboard James Cook's second voyage on HMS Resolution and had described this species as 'Perca taeniatus' in an unpublished manuscript. The fish reaches a maximum total length of about 22 cm (9 in). Its dorsal fin has ten spines and eleven soft rays, while the anal fin has three spines and six soft rays. There is considerable variation in coloring both among adults and as a result of changes during growth. The main color is usually yellowish, but there is a broad black or dark brown lateral band, mainly on the rear half of the body. The sides of the head and the front of the body are whitish or grey, with red speckles. In Asia, juveniles may be reddish dorsally, while in Oceania they tend to have golden-green upper parts and white underparts.
Reader's Guide
The blackside hawkfish is an ambush predator that typically lies in wait on a head of coral, propped up by its stiff pectoral fins, ready to dart out at passing crustaceans or small fish. It is mainly a solitary fish, but may be seen in pairs or may form small harems with one dominant male and several females. Like other members of the family Cirrhitidae, it is a sequential hermaphrodite: adults start life as females, but the largest female in a group changes sex to a male if that position is vacated. The species is native to the tropical and sub-tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean, ranging from East Africa and the Red Sea to Japan, New Caledonia, and Australasia. In Australia, its range extends from the northwest of Western Australia around the north of the country to the border of Queensland and New South Wales. It is found on the seaward side of reefs and on soft-bottomed lagoons to depths of 30 m (100 ft) and more. Its occasional presence in the aquarium trade and minor importance to local commercial fisheries reflect its limited but recognized role in human activities.
Did You Know?
- Its specific name honors Johann Reinhold Forster, a naturalist on James Cook's second voyage.
- It is a sequential hermaphrodite: adults start as females, and the largest female can change sex to male.
- The fish grows to a maximum total length of 22 cm (9 in).
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