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Forster's Hawkfish
Paracirrhites forsteri (Schneider, 1801)
A Forster's Hawkfish at a depth of 18m, "Pixie's Pinnacle", Ribbon Reefs, Great Barrier Reef, north of Port Douglas, December 1999. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.
A Forster's Hawkfish at a depth of 14 m, 'Gotham City', Mamanuca Island Group, Fiji, April 2002. Photo © D. & L. Atkinson. View larger image.
A Forster's Hawkfish at a depth of 10 m, 'The Supermarket', fringing reef of Mana Island, Mamanuca Island Group, Fiji, April 2002. Photo © D. & L. Atkinson. View larger image.
Forster's Hawkfish can be recognised by its colouration. It is pale to yellowish above and has a dark brown to black stripe on the posterior region of the body. The cheeks are grey to white with red spots.
The species grows to 22 cm in length.
Like most other hawfishes, Forster's Hawkfish is usually seen on coral heads, resting on its thickened lower pectoral fin rays. It is a lie-and-wait predator that preys upon fishes and crustaceans.
Forster's Hawfish occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific.
In Australia it is known from the central Western Australian coast to the offshore islands of north-western Western Australia and from northern Queensland to southern New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Related links
- Ornate Hawkfish fact sheet
- Ringeye Hawkfish fact sheet
- View the Family Cirrhitidae list
- View the Hawkfishes list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
