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"Excuse me; I'm sorry, I think you have a dead fish." "Oh, really? Where? (Not that Hawkfish again!) "Well yes, look closely; you'll detect that beauty is still alive. It's just it's habit to hang out on a rock, coral or the bottom like that. To observe real "hawk-like" behavior, all one need do is watch for a while. When something of interest catches the Hawkfish's eye, it is quick to swoop up or down and investigate." Hawkfishes are peculiar fishes that fill a void that no other fish can or does. Their chubby bodies and unique coloring are a must for every type of marine system. They go from the reef tank to the community tank with a wide range of compatible tank-mates. Their seemingly continuous, sedentary "perching" is about the only negative thing that can be said about the Hawkfishes. These colorful, interesting fishes are undemanding in terms of water quality & foods; they get along well with other species and are generally fast-enough and tankmate-wise to avoid being hassled. But remember; their mouths are quite large, so watch out when adding shrimps and small fishes because your Hawkfish is watching out for them. Classification: Hawkfishes comprise twenty seven species in nine genera currently. Their distribution range is mainly Indo-Pacific with two species in the tropical West and East Atlantic. All are marine. Most species are found in shallow water with some to a few hundred feet. They bear a close resemblance to the Rockfishes/Scorpionfishes/Lionfishes (family Scorpaenidae) except in lacking their prominent head spines. Hawkfishes have a continuous hard and soft dorsal fin of ten spines, often with cirri (see above photo: they look like small pom-poms) at their tips. Ray counts are eleven to seventeen for the soft dorsal fin, five to seven soft rays for anal fins. They have 26 to 28 vertebrae. The pectoral fins are distinctive in having elongated, unbranched lower rays. The tail fin is squared off. Another important trait is that the cirrhitid family lacks swim bladders; allowing them to be rapidly decompressed after capture. Species/Notes of Interest to Aquarists:
Selection: A good Hawkfish is easy to find; all species and most individual specimens are suitable for captivity. They ship well and are relatively parasite free from the wild. Standard Operating Procedure for all marine purchases is all that should be followed: 1) ascertain that the prospective purchase has been in the store for at least a few days 2) ask regarding it's existing habitat conditions 3) somewhat superfluously in the case of this family, ask to see the fish eat what you intend to feed it 4) if in doubt, put a deposit on the specimen or leave it for further consideration.
Shredded fins may be from bad handling or poor water quality; blemishes could be from parasitic or bacterial infection. In either case these specimens should be passed by. Also, a Hawkfish is always hungry. If you ask to see one eat and it doesn't; wait to buy it! Environment: No special consideration is required; just regular maintenance (Savitt 1976). Hawkfishes do well in natural or synthetic water of regular to lower specific gravity (1.025-1.019). They are not sensitive in terms of temperature. Low to upper seventy degrees Fahrenheit are suggested for the entire group. Despite their, at times, secretive nature, possession of large eyes and nocturnal habits, Hawkfishes adapt to well-lit aquarium conditions (Takeshita 1975). Behavior: Territoriality: Hawkfishes are fine with other species as long as their tankmates are large enough to not be eaten or eat the hawks. Sometimes they can become territorial after being in the same system a long time (Savitt 1976). Occasional shifting, addition or removal of part of the habitat alleviates this problem. They may chase other fishes, but rarely do any damage. In general it is not a good idea to mix Hawkfishes for this reason. Regarding reef systems: Be forewarned that a Hawkfish's large jaws and sharp teeth are ideal devices for capturing crustacea. Some small species are ideal reef additions, but they will eat crustaceans and "worms". Watch out shrimps! These fishes display human-responsive behavior very quickly. They imprint easily and will "beg" at the surface and feed out of your hand. Reproduction: The long-nose hawk is known to lay demersal (bottom) eggs (Randall 1981). Takeshita (1975) describes a courtship dance among a pair in captivity in the early evenings. He also gives notes regarding sexual differences. Briefly; males being smaller, more colorful, with black margins on the pelvic and caudal fins. Foods/Feeding/Nutrition: Hawkfishes spend most of their time perched on a rock or piece of coral, waiting to make a short fast rush at a food item. Their short, conical teeth are modified for grasping small zooplankton and fish. They accept all frozen and flake foods readily; with only brief training from the wild. Disease: Hawkfishes are typically "clean" of pathogenic disease and have low parasite loads. They are not particularly sensitive to therapeutic agents or treatment regimens. Quarantine and a prophylactic dip are suggested as always. Other fishes in the system will typically show symptoms of disease before your hawks, and succumb from the same ahead of them. Summary: The family Cirrhitidae has everything going for it in terms of suitability for captive conditions; they are readily available, moderately inexpensive, hardy, interesting behaviorally, and accept all foods and a wide range of water conditions. Try them out. Bibliography/Further Reading: Carlson, Bruce A. 1975. A scarlet hawkfish for the Fiji Islands. TFH 4/75. Fenner, Bob & Cindi Camp. 1990. The Hawkfishes, family Cirrhitidae. FAMA 4/90. Michael, Scott W. 1998. Hawkfishes. Small, aggressive predators of the coral reef. AFM 8/98. Michael, Scott W. 1999. Spawning flames. You could be the first if you pay attention to natural history. AFM 6/99. Randall, J.E. 1963. Review of the hawkfishes (family Cirrhitidae). Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus. 114:389-451 Randall, J.E. 1981. Longnose hawkfish, Oxycirrhites typus. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine 8/81 Savitt, D. 1976. Hawkfish. Marine Aquarist 7:4 1976 Stratton, Richard F. 1989. The spotted hawkfish. TFH 10/89. Stratton, Richard F. 1991. The flame hawkfish. TFH 2/91. Takeshita, G.Y. 1975. Long-snouted hawkfish. Marine Aquarist 6(6):75 Tinker, S.W. 1978. Fishes of Hawaii. Hawaiian Service, Inc. HI
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