Cirrhitidae

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"Hawkfish" redirects here. For the U.S. political agency, see Hawkfish (technology company).

Hawkfish
Stocky hawkfish, Cirrhitus pinnulatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Superfamily: Cirrhitoidea
Family: Cirrhitidae
W. S. Macleay, 1841[1]
Genera

see text

Cirrhitidae, the hawkfishes, are a

ray-finned fishes
found in tropical seas and which are associated with coral reefs.

Taxonomy

The Cirrhitidae were first recognised as a family by the

pectoral fins. Another possibility is that the name refers to cirri extending from the tips of the spines in the dorsal fin spines, although Lacépède did not mention this feature.[4]

Black-sided hawkfish (Paracirrhites forsteri) from East Timor

Genera

The following 12 genera are classified within the Cirrhitidae, containing a total of 33 species:[3][5]

Characteristics

Cirrhitidae hawkfishes are roughly oblong in shape

swimbladder. The colour and pattern vary between species.[6] The maximum length attained is around 55 cm (22 in),[3] although around 30 cm (12 in) is more typical.[6] Most species are quite small and colourfully patterned.[3]

Distribution and habitat

Cirrhitidae hawkfishes are found in the tropical western and eastern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific, mainly in the

benthic fishes which are found on coral reefs or rocky substrates, mostly inhabiting shallow water.[6]

Biology

Cirrhitidae fishes use their robust lower pectoral-fin rays to wedge into position where they will be subjected to the forces of currents and waves. They are carnivorous fishes, their main prey being

benthic crustaceans. One species, Cyprinocirrhitus polyactis, mainly feeds on zooplankton, although it is frequently encountered resting on the substrate.[6] Hawkfish frequently sit and wait on the higher parts of their habitat, diving onto prey items seen underneath them, in a similar manner to some hawk species, hence the name hawkfish.[8]

Fisheries and utilisation

Cirrhitidae hawkfishes are mostly too small to be of interest to fisheries. The 3 largest species are occasionally fished for as

Oxycirrhites typus, are collected for the aquarium trade.[6]

Gallery

References

  1. ^
    PMID 25543675
    . Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original
    on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  3. ^ a b c d e Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2021). "Cirrhitidae" in FishBase. June 2021 version.
  4. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (25 February 2021). "Order CENTRARCHIFORMES: Families CENTRARCHIDAE, ELASSOMATIDAE, ENOPLOSIDAE, SINIPERCIDAE, APLODACTYLIDAE, CHEILODACTYLIDAE, CHIRONEMIDAE, CIRRHITIDAE, LATRIDAE, PERCICHTHYIDAE, DICHISTIIDAE, GIRELLIDAE, KUHLIIDAE, KYPHOSIDAE, OPLEGNATHIDAE, TERAPONTIDAE, MICROCANTHIDAE and SCORPIDIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  5. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Cirrhitidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f J.E. Randall (2001). "CIRRHITIDAE". In Carpenter, K.E. and Niem, V.H. (eds.). FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae) (PDF). FAO Rome. p. 3321.
  7. ^ "Hawkfish". Mexican Fish. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  8. ^ James W. Fatherree (2015). "The Hawkfishes". Reefs.com.

External links

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