Arc Eye Hawkfish (South Pacific)
Hawkfish are entertaining fish with outgoing personalities. They have do not have swim bladders so can only float in the water with effort. They prefer to spend their days perched atop rocks or coral surveying their surroundings. They are coral safe, but are predatory towards shrimp. It is possible for hawkfish to consume even a large shrimp by bashing it against a rock into bite sized pieces. They may also eat anything else that can fit in their mouths, including small or slender fish. They may bully other fish and we don't recommend keeping them with small wrasses, jawfish, dottybacks, gobies or blennies. They do well with angelfish, tangs, larger dottybacks, large wrasses, triggers and puffers.
Hawkfish are carnivores and their diet should include plenty of high quality meaty items, marine algae, Spirulina, and frozen Mysis shrimp. It is preferable to feed at least once a day. They are hardy and usually learn to eat dry foods.
The Arc Eye hawkfish is a handsome fish with an intense pink coloration fading to peach at its belly. A striking white bar runs from its shoulder to its tail. On its chin are squiggles of tangerine and baby blue. Its most notable feature is an electric yellow spark that extends from its eye and loops back in again. Males and females are visually identical. It is quite predatory on smaller fishes and sometimes even crabs; it is best kept with other large and aggressive species. It grows to 5.5 inches; we recommend an aquarium of at least 30 gallons.
