Need assistance with Hawkfish ID

[bsthom01]

Hi all. I recently purchased a Hawkfish at CPE and was wondering if you all could help me ID it? I'm thinking its a Cirrhitichthys falco, but was wondering if anyone else might have an opinion. I've read that they are not the most common in the aquarium industry. I have also read conflicting reports that they should be kept in pairs, so I'd like to know for sure what species he/she is in case I come across another one. Thanks.

http://img128.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hawkfishpq1.jpg

Dave, you might notice that he/she's perched on the zoanthids and the Xenia is waving in the background. They are doing great by the way - Thanks.

 

[trottman]

spotted hawk... i think that they are pretty common, i have seen at least one at most local LFS

 

[Shooter7]

Re: Need assistance with Hawkfish ID

Dave, you might notice that he/she's perched on the zoanthids and the Xenia is waving in the background. They are doing great by the way - Thanks. [/B]

Yeah, I see that.....Hey Hawk, get off the new zoas!! :mad2:

Looking good. :thumbsup:

 

[saltyunderground]

The falcos and red spotted look a lot alike. Either way watch out for your ornamental crustaceans, especially small shrimp.
They can also be bullys to small docile fish like gobies.

 

[bsthom01]

Yeah, that's what I read. There doesn't appear to be a difinitive way to ID them that I have come across yet - but I'm still looking. I think the other species is Cirrhitichthys aprinus (This is the spotted hawkfish).

I now know these can be aggressive, CPE sold me a peppermint shrimp with the hawkfish and it only took him a day or so to hunt it down and kill it... Anyway, thanks all for your help.

 

[geoxman]

AHH! CPE sold you a shrimp with a Hawkfish?? Who sold them to you? Most of the full time crew are very aware of tank critters-and what each one eats, or harasses. They do have a few new people that just started-so you might want to let Jan know what happened. JMHO

 

[bsthom01]

Actually, the way I understand it, she was the manager of the department. It was a young blonde woman, I can't recall her name at the moment. She was very nice and helpful. I explained to her the this was my first addition to 90lbs of LR and that I wanted to keep mostly soft corals. I've always wanted a hawkfish though, so maybe she was hoping that this would be one of those lesser aggressive ones... Anyway, I learned a valuable lesson. I'm less concerned about the $10 and more about the needless loss of the shrimp. I'll be more apt to do my homework next time.

 

[saltyunderground]

You might want to consider giving the hawkfish back until you have all of the other fish you want in that tank. Unless you are going to add other agressive fish, the hawkfish really should be your last addition. I had a hawkfish almost harass a new coral beauty to death once that was added after it.

 

[dynamitedj]

Yeah , It's a falco's pixy hawk and they are mean as hell. It killed 1 lrg pepp.shrimp, 1 lrg cleaner shrimp, a 6line wrasse, and an algea blenny in my tank before I could remove him. I would deffinately put him in as the last fish.

 

[bsthom01]

AH... Ok. I am cycling a 20g tank that he may end up in as soon as it is ready. I had originally thought to put a pair of percs and an anemone in there, but now I might put those in the main tank and the hawk in the 20g. I kind of like him, he's very personable. He is not the least bit shy and doesn't seem to bother the few corals I have in there. I'll need to consider what other fish additions I'd make to the 55g and maybe I'll leave him and get some "tough" fish to go in there with him