Spotted hawkfish

Lore & Background

The spotted hawkfish was first formally described as Cirrhites aprinus in 1829 by the French zoologist Georges Cuvier, with the type locality given as Timor. When the genus Cirrhitichthys was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1857, he used a species he had described in 1853, Cirrhites graphidopterus, as its type species, but this was later shown to be a synonym of Cuvier's C. aprinus. The specific name aprinus means 'boar-like', a reference to the large canine teeth in the sides of the lower jaws.

The body has a standard length about two and a half times its depth, with a strongly serrated preoperculum and cycloid scales. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 12 soft rays, the spines tipped with short white filaments. The lower 7 pectoral fin rays are robust and unbranched, and the pelvic fins extend past the anus. The caudal fin is weakly emarginate. The overall background color is whitish with wide dark reddish-brown vertical bars on the flanks, broken by light bars containing rhombus-shaped dark patches where they cross the lateral line. There is a pale-margined dark circular spot on the upper edge of the operculum, and each eye has 3–4 dark bars radiating outward. The caudal fin is translucent and unmarked.

The species is found from Sumatra east to the Solomon Islands, north to the Philippines and the Ogasawara and Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, and south to eastern and western Australia. It also occurs at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Ashmore Reef, and Lord Howe Island, with isolated records from the western Indian Ocean including Aliwal Shoal off South Africa and the Maldives. It inhabits rocky and coral areas of coastal reefs below the low tide mark, and will move into shallow harbors and estuaries.

Reader's Guide

The spotted hawkfish is a common species in its Indo-West Pacific range, frequently encountered as solitary fish or in small groups. It perches on benthic invertebrates such as sponges and corals, using its thickened lower pectoral fin rays. Its diet consists of small fishes and crustaceans. The species is thought to be protogynous hermaphrodites and to be organized into harems of a single male and a small number of females. When spawning, a pair spirals upward in the water column for less than 1 m, and the eggs are pelagic. Despite its wide distribution and common status, the spotted hawkfish is rare in the aquarium trade. Its notable features include the boar-like canine teeth that inspired its specific name, and the distinctive pattern of dark vertical bars and eye bars that aid in identification. The species has been recorded at depths between 5 and 40 m, and its presence in both coastal reefs and estuarine environments suggests adaptability to varied subtidal habitats.

Did You Know?

• The spotted hawkfish was first described in 1829 by French zoologist Georges Cuvier with the type locality given as Timor.
• The lower 7 pectoral fin rays are robust and unbranched, used for perching on sponges and corals.
• It is thought to be a protogynous hermaphrodite, organized into harems of one male and several females.