All fish / Cirrhitidae

Flame Hawkfish

Neocirrhitus armatus

Also known as flame hawk, red hawkfish, scarlet hawkfish, armed hawkfish, flame hawk fish, ベニゴンベ, 副鎓鳄鱼, 火焰鹰鱼, 红鹰鱼

A stocky, bright scarlet hawkfish with a black band along the base of the dorsal fin and black rings around the eyes. It sits on rocks and coral branches watching the tank, which gives it plenty of character and makes it a popular, hardy reef fish.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Keep singly or as one mated pair

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood, krill and meaty frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Central and western Pacific, including the Great Barrier Reef, Micronesia, Polynesia and the Ryukyu Islands

Breeding

Pairs spawn at dusk, releasing pelagic eggs into the water column. Spawning has 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 small, bottom-dwelling fish, so choose tankmates with care. In the wild it lives among Pocillopora corals, and it is pricier than most other hawkfishes.