TankBud

Falco hawkfish

Cirrhitichthys falco

Also known as Dwarf Hawkfish, Coral Hawkfish, Speckled Hawkfish

SaltwaterFish

Falco hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco)
q phia · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
2.8 in
7 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Cirrhitidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific reefs, from the Maldives to Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef

Overview

Regarded as one of the calmest, least aggressive hawkfish available, though it still defends its perch and can squabble with similar-looking tankmates or other hawkfish. It is reef safe with caution: corals are never a target, but its natural diet is small crustaceans, so ornamental shrimp and tiny crabs are at real risk. Its mouth is small for a hawkfish, so offer finely chopped mysis, krill, and other small meaty foods once or twice a day rather than large chunks.

In the wild

Ranges across the Indo-Pacific from the Maldives to Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands and south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia, living on coral-rich reef slopes to about 46 m and favoring stands of Pocillopora coral even where coral cover is sparse. Its small size and calm temperament make it one of the few hawkfish suited to a nano reef, though it still wants live rock with ledges and coral branches to perch on. A tank of at least 110 litres (30 US gal) works well, and a tight lid is a must since it can jump.

Good to know

One of the smallest hawkfish in the aquarium trade, topping out around 7 cm. Like the rest of the family it has no swim bladder and relies on stiffened lower pectoral fin rays to prop itself on rock and coral rather than swim freely. Its body is pale with a fine reddish-brown speckled pattern, which gives it the alternate name speckled hawkfish and helps it blend into coral rubble while it watches for prey.

Did you know

Its Pocillopora coral perches double as an early warning system in the wild: the coral's resident crabs and shrimp scatter or pinch at anything that brushes the branches, giving a falco hawkfish a heads-up whenever a predator approaches its hideout.

Common questions

What size tank does a Falco hawkfish need?

A Falco hawkfish needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Falco hawkfish need?

A Falco hawkfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

How big does a Falco hawkfish get?

An adult Falco hawkfish reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).

Related species