All fish / Cirrhitidae

Coral Hawkfish

Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus

Also known as pixy hawkfish, spotted hawkfish, pixie hawkfish, coral hawk, spotted coral hawkfish, サラサゴンベ, 尖头金鎓, 尖头金𩷶

A small, sturdy hawkfish with a pale body covered in red to brown blotches and tufts of cirri on the tips of its dorsal spines. It perches on rocks and coral using its thick pectoral fins, darting out to grab food, which gives it plenty of character. Keepers value it for its hardiness and bold behaviour.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

8 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Single fish, or a mated pair in a larger tank

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, krill, chopped seafood, frozen meaty foods and sinking pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific, Red Sea and East Africa to Gulf of California and Panama

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that forms harems in the wild, spawning pelagic eggs at dusk. Spawning has occasionally been seen in aquariums, but rearing the tiny larvae is very difficult and rarely achieved.

Good to know

It will eat small shrimps and may harass very small or slow bottom-dwelling fish, so it is only partly reef safe. Keep the tank covered as hawkfish can jump.