🐠 Red Bar Hawkfish (Cirrhitops fasciatus)
A White Body Marked With Thick Vertical Red-to-Brown Bars • A Hawaiian Endemic, Occasional in the Trade • A Freckled Face and a Feisty, Territorial Streak
 
📋 A note on naming: this species is sold under several interchangeable trade names, including the Blood Red Hawkfish, Banded Hawkfish, and Redbar or Red Barred Hawkfish, all referring to the same fish.
The Red Bar Hawkfish has a striking overall white body marked with thick vertical red-to-brown bars, and a distinctively freckled face. It comes from the Hawaiian Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, occasional in the aquarium trade rather than commonly available. Every Red Bar Hawkfish we ship is feeding well.
Like all hawkfish, this species lacks a swim bladder, and instead of swimming continuously, it perches on rockwork or coral, using ample ledges, caves, cracks, and crevices to rest and hide. It's somewhat feisty and will defend its territory, so it should be kept singly per aquarium, and housed only with tankmates that won't be easily harassed. It's fully reef safe with corals, but will consume very small fish and other invertebrates, so tankmates and companion invertebrates should be chosen with real care. It reaches up to 12.5cm, so a 115L tank suits it well.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 White Body With Red-Brown Bars: A striking, distinctive hawkfish
🦅 No Swim Bladder: Perches and hops rather than swimming continuously
🌿 Reef Safe With Corals: Will consume very small fish and invertebrates
💎 Occasional in the Trade: Not commonly available
⚠️ Feisty: Best kept singly per aquarium