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Dwarf Hawkfish
Cirrhitichthys falco Randall, 1963
A Dwarf Hawkfish at a depth of 10m, Inside Mantis Reef, Wreck Bay, far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, November 2001. View larger image.
A Dwarf Hawkfish at a depth of 20m, "Pixie's Reef", Ribbon Reefs, north of Port Douglas, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, November 1998. View larger image.
The Dwarf Hawkfish is whitish with red-brown spots on the body that form diagonal bands. There are two thin lines extending ventrally from the eye.
A tuft of cirri (glossary) is present near the tip of each dorsal fin spine.
The Dwarf Hawkfish grows to 7cm in length.
It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.
In Australia it is recorded from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland south to the central coast of New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
