Cirrhitichthys falco
Dwarf Hawkfish
©David Witherall and Perry Dunne-Jones: Dwarf Hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco, Ocean Freedom, Upolu Reef
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Perciformes
Family
Cirrhitidae
Genus
Cirrhitichthys
Species
Cirrhitichthys falco
Colours
Distinguishing features
This little hawkfish is distinguised by a pair of reddish bars below the eye and another on the midline of the head reaching to the lips. Base colour is white with reddish brown markings. There is no pale-edged dark spot on the gill cover.
Size
- Up to 7 cm (Total Length)
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Similar taxa
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
It can be found in marine environments.Behaviour
A dominant male keeps a harem of several females. If a harem becomes too large, one of the females may become a male and take on part of the harem as a dominant male. What makes this species unusual is that the new male may revert to the female sex if challenged by a more powerful male. A male can become a female and successfully breed, laying fertile eggs. (Wikipedia)
Web resources
References
- Allen, G., R. Steene, P. Humann and N. Deloach (2003). Reef fish identification: Tropical Pacific New World Publications Inc., Jacksonville, FL, USA.
- Coker, D.J., A.S. Hoey, S.K. Wilson, M. Depczynski, N.A.J. Graham, J.-P.A. Hobbs, T.H. Holmes and M.S.. Pratchett (2015). Habitat selectivity and reliance on live corals for Indo-Pacific hawkfishes (Family: Cirrhitidae), PLoS One, doi.1371/journal.pone.0138136. LIRS catalog number 1959.
- Donaldson, T.J. (1987). Social organization and reproductive behavior of the hawkfish Cirrhiticthys falco (Cirrhitidae), Bulletin of Marine Science, 41(2): 531-540. LIRS catalog number 231.
- View all references