🐠 Flame Hawkfish (Neocirrhites armatus)
A Vivid, Uniform Crimson-Red Body With a Black-Edged Dorsal Fin • A Personable, Popular Perching Fish • A Determined Jumper Needing an Absolutely Secure Lid
 
📋 The Flame Hawkfish, also known as the Brilliant Hawkfish, has a vivid, uniform crimson-red body with a black-edged dorsal fin and dark markings around the eyes, along with the characteristic hair-like cirri tufts on its dorsal spines shared by the hawkfish family.
It comes from the Western and Central Pacific, particularly the outer reef slopes of Fiji and the Solomon Islands, perching within the branches of Pocillopora corals at depths of roughly 5 to 30 metres. Every Flame Hawkfish we ship is feeding well.
This species is famous for jumping; when startled, it lacks a swim bladder and reflexively bolts upward rather than diving for cover, and it's skilled at finding the smallest gaps in a lid, so an absolutely secure, fully gap-free cover is essential. This is a personable, popular species that spends most of its time perched on rock or coral, watching for passing food. It's considered reef safe with caution; it won't harm coral tissue, but will feed on ornamental shrimp, hermit crabs, snails, and feather duster worms. Its vivid colour can fade to a duller, matte red in captivity without a varied, pigment-rich diet, so we maintain every specimen on colour-enhancing foods. It's best added as one of the last fish in your stocking order to reduce territorial disputes with other bottom-dwelling species. It reaches up to 9cm, so a 115L tank suits it well.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Vivid Uniform Red Body: An iconic, popular reef fish
⚠️ A Determined Jumper: An absolutely secure, gap-free lid is essential
😊 Personable: A characterful, engaging perching fish
⚠️ Reef Safe With Caution: Will eat ornamental shrimp, hermit crabs, and feather dusters
🎨 Diet-Dependent Colour: A pigment-rich diet helps maintain vivid colouration