Lyretail 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.

With its long fins and bright color, the Lyretail hawkfish makes a great display animal. It is also known as the Swallowtail hawkfish after its long forked tail. It is colored shades of tangerine, ruby red and amber; the colors swirl together like molten rock. Each spiked ray of it dorsal fin is tuffed with furry cirri. Males and females are visually identical. It can be kept with its own kind in a suitably large aquarium if all fish are added together. It enjoys hovering in the water against high water flow. It is the safest hawkfish to attempt to keep with shrimp, as long a she shrimp is large and added to the aquarium first. It grows to 5.5 inches; we recommend an aquarium of at least 30 gallons.