Longnose Hawkfish (Asia 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.

A comically long snout sets the Longnose hawkfish apart from all the rest. Its snout is about a third the length of its entire body. Against its ruby red body are many delicate rose colored squares. The Longnose hawkfish is best not mixed with other hawkfish which may bully it; pairs may be kept together. We typically import this fish from the Indian Ocean. We recommend the tank be securely covered the Longnose hawkfish is prone to jumping from open top aquaria. It grows to 5 inches; we recommend an aquarium of at least 30 gallons.