Dwarf hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco)

General data
- Main name: Dwarf hawkfish
- Climates: Tropical
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: Africa, Asia, Australia & Oceania
- Distribution: Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean
Classification
- Genus: Cirrhitichthys - Cirrhitichthys
- Family: Cirrhitoidea - Hawkfishes
- Order: Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes
- Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
The dwarf hawkfish can reach 7 cm (2.8 in) in total length. The dorsal fin has ten spines with numerous tassels on the tips of the spines. The anal fin has three spines and six soft rays. The pectoral fins are thick and elongated and spread out when the fish is resting on the substrate. This fish is pinkish-red and white in color with vertical banding or mottling. The dwarf hawkfish is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific. Its range extends from the eastern coast of Africa and the Maldives to Samoa, the Ryukyu Islands, northern Australia, the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia. It is a common member of the reef community on outer reef slopes and flats and is found at depths down to about 45 m (148 ft).