🐠 Spotted Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys aprinus)
A Sturdy Body in White-to-Brown Tones With Reddish-Brown Blotches • Distinguished From the Similar Pixi Hawkfish by a Light-Rimmed Eye Spot • Rare in the Aquarium Trade
 
📋 A note on identification: this species is also commonly called the Blotched, Redbarred, Boar, or Threadfin Hawkfish, and it's very similar in appearance to our Pixi Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus); the two are distinguished by a light-rimmed dark spot behind each eye on this species, along with the absence of spots on its tail.
The Spotted Hawkfish has a sturdy, oval body in white to brownish tones, sprinkled with irregular reddish-brown spots and blotches across the sides, head, and back. It comes from a wide range across the Indo-West Pacific, from Sumatra to the Solomon Islands, north to the Philippines and southern Japan, and south to both coasts of Australia, inhabiting rocky and coral areas of subtidal coastal reefs. Every Spotted Hawkfish we ship is feeding well.
Like all hawkfish, this species lacks a swim bladder, instead choosing a fixed perch, often a branching coral, flat stone, or elevated structure, from which it watches over its surroundings before leaping toward prey or hopping to a new position. It's quite feisty and territorial toward its own kind and other hawkfish, so it's best kept singly, or as a confirmed pair in a larger tank. It's fully reef safe with corals, though it will eat small ornamental shrimp and other live-sand organisms. It reaches up to 12.5cm, so a 115L tank suits it well.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 White-Brown Body With Reddish Spots: A distinctive, characterful hawkfish
🔍 A Naming Note Worth Knowing: Very similar to the Pixi Hawkfish, distinguished by its eye spot and tail
💎 Rare in the Trade: Not commonly available
🌿 Fully Reef Safe: Won't harm corals, though will eat small ornamental shrimp
⚠️ Feisty: Best kept singly or as a confirmed pair