Black-sided hawkfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-sided hawkfish |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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Paracirrhites
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P. forsteri
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| Paracirrhites forsteri (J. G. Schneider, 1801)
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The black-sided hawkfish (Paracirrhites forsteri) is a cool fish found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. People sometimes call it the freckled hawkfish or Forster's hawkfish. It's a type of hawkfish. Sometimes, you might see it in home aquariums. It can grow up to about 22 centimeters (9 inches) long.
Contents
What Does the Black-Sided Hawkfish Look Like?
This hawkfish can grow to be about 22 centimeters (9 inches) long. Its top fin, called the dorsal fin, has ten strong spines and eleven soft rays. The fin underneath, the anal fin, has three spines and six soft rays.
These fish can look quite different from each other. Their colors also change as they grow up. Usually, they are yellowish. But they have a wide black or dark brown stripe along the back half of their body. The front of their body and their head are often whitish or gray, with small red spots. Young hawkfish in Asia might be reddish on top. In other places like Oceania, they often have golden-green backs and white undersides.
Where Does the Black-Sided Hawkfish Live?
The black-sided hawkfish lives in the warm, tropical parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. You can find them from East Africa and the Red Sea all the way to Japan, New Caledonia, and Australia. In Australia, they live along the northern coast, from Western Australia to the border of Queensland and New South Wales.
They like to hang out on the outer edges of coral reefs. You can also find them in lagoons with soft, sandy bottoms. They live in water that is up to 30 meters (about 100 feet) deep, and sometimes even deeper!
How Does the Black-Sided Hawkfish Live?
The black-sided hawkfish is an ambush predator. This means it likes to hide and wait for its food to come to it. It often sits on top of a coral head, using its stiff pectoral fins (the fins on its sides) to prop itself up. When a small crustacean (like a crab or shrimp) or a little fish swims by, the hawkfish quickly darts out to catch it!
These fish usually live alone. But sometimes, you might see them in pairs. They can also form small groups called harems. In a harem, there is one main male fish and several females.
Black-sided hawkfish are special because they are sequential hermaphrodites. This means they can change their sex during their lives. All adults start out as females. If the main male in a group leaves or dies, the largest female in that group will change into a male!
Gallery
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Juvenile
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Adult (red colouration)
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Adult (black colouration)
See also
In Spanish: Pez halcón de costado negro para niños
