One of the most fun species in the reef aquarium hobby is the beautiful flame hawkfish. Like a hawk, it likes to stay still on top of its favourite coral and look over and guard its territory. It’s important to offer it a varied diet of high-quality food as it is known for losing its strikingly beautiful reddish color over time into a more dull feature.
Their personality is fun to observe, with their big eyes dwelling over their territory and from time to time wandering / swimming around, looking for intruders, only to return back to their favourite spot to lay down and start the observation all over again. You can keep two together if you introduce them to the aquarium at the same time, but do provide them with plenty of hiding places.
All flame hawkfish are born female but they can change sex from male to female which makes them protogynous hermaphrodites. Some scientists assume that, rarely, this change may be reversed if circumstances demand it, but this is not conclusive science yet.
| LATIN NAME | SIZE |
| Neocirrhites armatus | Up to 10 cm. |
| REGION | WATER CONDITIONS |
| Australia (Great barrier reef), Indonesia, East Pacific, Central / West Pacific | Temperature: 23 – 27 °C pH: 8,1 – 8,4 Specific gravity: 1.025 – 1.026 Alkalinity: around 8 to 9 dKH |
| FUN FACT | |
| Hawkfish have no swim bladder, that is why you more often than not see them resting atop their favorite coral. |
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