Cirrhitops mascarenensis
A hawkfish from the southwestern Indian Ocean, described in 2008.
Cirrhitops mascarenensis is a marine ray-finned fish, a type of hawkfish in the family Cirrhitidae. Its range is the southwestern Indian Ocean.
Before 2008, hawkfish of this genus from the southwestern Indian Ocean were thought to be the same species as the redbarred hawkfish from Hawaii. That year, John Ernest Randall and Jennifer K. Schultz formally described this fish as a new species, using genetic and morphological evidence. This clarified that the redbarred hawkfish is actually unique to the Hawaiian Islands. The type specimen came from a pass near Trou d'Eau Douce, off eastern Mauritius. The species name means "of the Mascarenes," referring to Mauritius and Réunion, which are part of its range.
The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 14 soft rays; the anal fin has 3 spines and 6 soft rays. The pectoral fin usually has 14 rays, sometimes 15, with the lower 6 being unbranched and sturdy. The preoperculum margin has 14 to 24 serrations, more in larger fish. The caudal fin is slightly notched. The back and upper sides are red, the underside white. Under the dorsal fin are five slightly diagonal, reddish-brown bars. There is a large, black, rhomboid spot on the front of the caudal peduncle and a dark brown spot on the gill cover. Below the lateral line, the body has brownish-red blotches about the size of the eye or its pupil. The maximum recorded total length is 7.5 cm (3.0 inches).
This species has been recorded from Madagascar, Mauritius, and Réunion. It has not yet been found on Rodrigues, the easternmost Mascarene island, but is expected there. Its habitat and biology are likely similar to those of the redbarred hawkfish.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Cirrhitops mascarenensis
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Cirrhitops mascarenensis was first formally described in 2008 by John Ernest Randall and Jennifer K. Schultz, with the type locality given as a pass close to the Trou d'Eau Douce off the eastern coast of Mauritius. Previously, hawkfish of this genus found in the southwestern Indian Ocean were regarded as conspecific with the redbarred hawkfish (C. fasciatus) from the Hawaiian Islands. However, Randall and Schultz described a new species based on genetic and morphological analyses, resolving the redbarred hawkfish as a species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The specific name means 'of the Mascarenes', a reference to the islands of Mauritius and Réunion which form part of its range.
The species has a dorsal fin containing 10 spines and 14 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 6 soft rays. The pectoral fin has 14 rays, occasionally 15, with the lower 6 rays being unbranched and robust. The margin of the preoperculum has 14-24 serrations, increasing in number as the fish grows. The caudal fin is weakly emarginate. Its body is red on the back and uppersides and white on the underside, with five slightly diagonal, reddish brown bars underneath the dorsal fin. A large rhomboid black spot is present on the front of the caudal peduncle, and a dark brown spot on the gill cover. The half of the body below the lateral line has brownish red blotches roughly equal in diameter to the eye or its pupil. The maximum recorded total length is 7.5 cm (3.0 in).
Cirrhitops mascarenensis is found in the southwestern Indian Ocean, recorded from Madagascar, Mauritius, and Réunion. It has not been recorded from Rodrigues, the easternmost of the Mascarenes, but should be expected from there. The article notes that this species should have similar habitat preferences and biology to the redbarred hawkfish.
Reader's Guide
The significance of Cirrhitops mascarenensis lies in its resolution of a long-standing taxonomic confusion. Before 2008, hawkfish of this genus in the southwestern Indian Ocean were considered the same species as the redbarred hawkfish (C. fasciatus) from the Hawaiian Islands. The formal description by Randall and Schultz, based on genetic and morphological analyses, established C. mascarenensis as a distinct species and confirmed the redbarred hawkfish as endemic to Hawaii. This work clarified the biogeography of the genus Cirrhitops in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The species is named for the Mascarene Islands (Mauritius and Réunion), which are part of its known range. Its description adds to the known diversity of hawkfishes in the southwestern Indian Ocean, though its biology and habitat preferences are inferred to be similar to those of its Hawaiian relative. The species has a maximum recorded length of 7.5 cm and distinctive coloration, including a rhomboid black spot on the caudal peduncle.
Did You Know?
- The species has a maximum recorded total length of 7.5 cm (3.0 in).
- It has a large rhomboid black spot on the front of the caudal peduncle.
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