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Hawkfishes, family Cirrhitidae.
Seven Hawks occur in the Cooks, three are too big. Forster’s or the Blackside
Hawkfish, Paracirrhites forsteri tops out at nine inches, and both the
Whitespot Hawk (Paracirrhites hemistictus) and Stocky Hawkfish (Cirrhitus
pinnulatus) attain a foot in length. Cute when small, predatory with size.
| Amblycirrhitus bimacula (Jenkins 1903), the Two Spot
Hawkfish. Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Hawai'i. To three or so inches in
length. Found in shallow turbulent water. |
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| Cirrhitus pinnulatus (Forster 1801), the Stocky
Hawkfish. Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea. To a foot in length. This
four inch specimen in Hawai'i. An occasional import that does well in
captivity, including reefs that don't house small motile invertebrates or
fishes. |
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Of really
saleable species though, the area has good numbers of the spectacular Flame Hawk
(Neocirrhites armatus) and this is one of the few targeted species Chip
Boyle seeks out for collecting.
| Neocirrhites armatus Castelnau 1873, the Scarlet or
Flame Hawkfish. Pacific Plate in distribution. To three and a half inches
in length. A tough beauty. This one in captivity. |
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The Arc-Eye hawkfish, Paracirrhites arcatus (Cuvier
1829). With an interesting U-shaped three color patch behind the eye. They grow to
about 5 inches in length and come in two basic color varieties; one flesh-toned,
the other a darker brown based. Both of these in Hawai'i.
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| Forster's or Freckled Hawkfish, Paracirrhites forsteri
(Schneider 1801). Full length of
almost nine inches,
so be careful when purchasing a larger one. Indo-Pacific. Juvenile and adult in
the Cooks |
 
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| Paracirrhites hemistictus (Gunther 1874), the
Whitespotted Hawkfish. Indo-Pacific on many islands but continental
shores. To almost a foot in length. The first one in Moorea, French
Polynesia, the second in the Cooks. |
 
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| Paracirrhites nisus Randall 1963. West Central
Pacific; Cook Islands and Polynesia. Looks like a cross between Forster's
and the Arc-Eye Hawk... |
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