TankBud

Longnose hawkfish

Oxycirrhites typus

Also known as Longnosed Hawkfish

SaltwaterFish

Longnose hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus)
Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.1 in
13 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Cirrhitidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, plus the eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to the Galapagos

Overview

A hardy, semi-aggressive perching predator that spends its day sitting on rock or coral and pouncing on food. It is best kept one to a tank unless a mated pair is introduced together, and it will bully smaller, timid fish. It is reef safe with corals but will hunt ornamental shrimp, tiny crabs, and other small mobile inverts, so it earns a caution rating. Keep it well fed with meaty foods like mysis and chopped seafood a couple of times a day.

In the wild

In the wild the longnose hawkfish lives on deeper reef slopes and drop-offs, usually perched among sea fans and black coral where it wedges itself into branches to watch for passing prey. It has no functional swim bladder, so it does not hover in open water. It rests on live rock, coral, or the sand and moves in short darting hops. Give it plenty of rockwork with perches and overhangs, and a tight lid because it is a proven jumper.

Good to know

Oxycirrhites typus is the only species in its genus and is easily recognized by its long, forceps-like snout and the red cross-hatched pattern over a white body. The elongated jaw lets it pick small crustaceans from tight coral crevices. Like all hawkfish it lacks a swim bladder and relies on thickened lower pectoral fin rays to prop itself on the reef.

Did you know

It can swallow prey larger than its mouth by smashing the food against a rock first, and it will readily eat small cleaner shrimp, which is why it is trusted with corals but not with a shrimp population.

Common questions

What size tank does a Longnose hawkfish need?

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

What temperature and pH does a Longnose hawkfish need?

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

How big does a Longnose hawkfish get?

An adult Longnose hawkfish reaches about 5.1 in (13 cm).

Related species