All fish / Cirrhitidae

Whitespot Hawkfish

Paracirrhites hemistictus

Also known as half-spotted hawkfish, white-spot hawkfish, whitespot hawk, halfspotted hawkfish, polka dot hawkfish, ホシゴンベ, 半斑副䱵

This is a large, sturdy hawkfish. It comes in two colour forms: a pale form with a white spot or bar on the flank, and a dark olive-brown form covered in small pale spots. Like other hawkfish it sits on rock and coral heads watching for prey, which gives it plenty of character in a big reef-style or fish-only tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

22 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Keep singly unless you have a confirmed pair in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: chopped seafood, mysis, krill, shrimp and good-quality frozen and pellet foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific: Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) to the central Pacific islands, including Micronesia, Polynesia and Hawaii's Line Islands

Breeding

In the wild it spawns as a pair, scattering pelagic eggs at dusk, and the young are thought to start life as females before some change sex. Breeding in home aquariums has not been reported in any reliable way.

Good to know

It reaches over 20 cm and readily eats shrimp, crabs and small fish, so it is not safe with ornamental invertebrates or small tankmates. It may also bully other bottom-dwelling fish.