Neocirrhites armatus
| Common Names: | Brilliant Red Hawkfish Flame Hawkfish Scarlet Hawkfish |
| Synonyms: | Neocirrhitus armatus |
| Family: | Cirrhitidae |
| Category: | Percoids |
| Distribution: | Pacific - Western; Ryukyu Islands in the North, through to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, also found around several Micronesian islands such as the Caroline and Wake Islands. |
| Main Ecosystem: | Reef; Inhabits mature reef systems with substantial populations of branched corals and gorgonians, which the fish perches upon and uses as vantage points from which to hunt prey. In the wild, found in shallow waters, depth range 1 to 10 metres. Found particularly in association with Pocillopora and Stylophora corals in the wild. |
| Temperament: | Territorial; This species will exhibit territorial behaviour toward conspecifics and toward other Hawkfish species, so mixing them is not advisable except in large aquaria. The major exception is in the case of mated pairs. Likely to be active competitors for food in the aquarium, and thus should be kept with active and competitive species. Usually it is recommended that Hawkfishes should be among the last aquarium occupants added, in order to give less territorial species time to establish themselves in advance. Once acclimatised to the aquarium, an inquisitive, active and lively species, that will amuse the aquarist with its antics. Can become intolerant of some other fish species: if this happens, the target fish is likely to become lunch for the Hawkfish! |
| Diet: | Carnivore; This species is an active carnivore, feeding upon crustaceans in the wild, and is therefore considered likely to be incompatible with various shrimps and even some crabs in a reef aquarium. Sessile invertebrates, however, are usually left unmolested, though it is wise to watch this fish closely in case a given specimen proves to be an exception. Once persuaded to feed in the aquarium environment, will be a gluttonous feeder, though some specimens may prove recalcitrant in the first week or so. Foods should be ba |
| Care: | This species should be provided with a 40 gallon or larger aquarium, furnished with plenty of rock rubble and coral skeletons upon which the fish will perch. Position some coral skeletons to provide ‘lookout’ points for the fish – these will be appreciated greatly! Considered relatively hardy and robust by some authorities, though a question mark hangs over some individuals and their willingness to feed – the variable degree of this aspect of the species should be duly noted. Once acclimatised, likely to be disease resistant and otherwise robust – the species can live for 7 years or more in the aquarium. Vigorous water movement is a factor in the species’ willingness to acclimatise, particularly in the case of specimens collected from the surge zone, as is a high degree of oxygenation of the aquarium water. If attempts are made to keep two or more individuals together, with the intention of experimental captive breeding, for example, the aquarium size selected should be suitably spacious – for a group of 6 individuals, for example, consider around 200 gallons to be a minimum capacity in order to minimise conflicts between individuals. |
| pH: |
| Temperature: |
|
| Specific Gravity: |
|
| Potential Size: | Male: 9cm (3.5") Female: 9cm (3.5") |
| Water Region: | All; This species is not particularly fussy about which zone of the aquarium it will choose to swim in – its principal demand is a suitable vantage point from which to survey its surroundings. Once provided with this, will venture just about anywhere in the aquarium, especially in pursuit of food items. |
| Activity: | Diurnal; Active during daylight hours, during which it spends time watching for prey items from suitably chosen vantage points. |
| Gender: | The species is a protogynous hermaphrodite – juveniles differentiate into females first, with the largest individual in a given area becoming male. No obvious colouration or morphological differences between male and female individuals. In the wild, it is possible for females from one harem group to be larger than the male in another: male size depends upon how early the transformation takes place. This could introduce some difficulties when seeking compatible individuals to build a naturalistic harem group for breeding purposes. |
| Breeding: | In the wild, the fish is an open water or substratum egg scatterer. Mating takes place at dusk, and males may either be monogamous (choosing one mating partner and remaining with that partner) or haremic, presumably depending upon availability of willing females. Eggs are pelagic, and larval fishes hatching from those eggs reportedly spend up to 3 weeks as planktonic organisms, which makes captive rearing a major challenge. Thus far, captive breeding attempts have been unsuccessful, and the rearing of fry may prove to be the biggest hurdle to overcome with this species because of the pelagic nature of the larvae. |
| Variants: | None known. |
| Comments: | A desirable and sometimes expensive Hawkfish species. Variable willingness of individuals to feed in the aquarium combined with certain intricacies of integration with other fishes in the aquarium make it more suitable for the experienced marine aquarist than the newcomer to saltwater fishkeeping. |
| Main Colours: | Red, Black |
| Markings: | Striped Horizontal |
| Mouth: | Normal |
| Tail: | Flat |
| Search: | Show similar species Find compatible species |
| Image Credit: | © FishProfiles.com |
| Submitted By: | Calilasseia |
| Contributors: | Calilasseia |
| History: | View changes to this profile |
| Edit Profile: |