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Hawkfishes (or cirrhitids) are familiar to divers and often feature in underwater photographs of fishes, as most species are sedentary and not too shy, hence easy to photograph. A distinctive characteristic that cirrhitids share with the related fingerfins (Family Cheilodactylidae) are the enlarged, unbranched, lower pectoral-fin rays, which are used to wedge the fish in place when they are sitting on the bottom, especially in areas of surge or wave-washed tidepools. Hawkfishes have a single dorsal fin with 10 spines and 1117 rays; if you can get close, you can also see one or more short filaments (cirri) at the tip of each dorsal-fin spine. Most hawkfish are solitary, sedentary and commonly seen sitting on coral or on sandy bottom near the reef. They are carnivores, feeding on a variety of small crustaceans and fishes. |
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