| Flame hawkfish or Neocirrhites armatus belong to | | | | shelter at night. |
| the family Cirrhitidae. They are indigenous to the | | | | These fish may show a reluctance to feed initially. |
| Micronesian sub-regions of the western Pacific | | | | If they are newly captured they may not eat at |
| Ocean. Significant populations exist in Australia's | | | | all. This could simply be a matter of not |
| Great Barrier Reef and the Ryukyu Islands where | | | | recognizing common marine food as a source of |
| there is an abundance of pocillopora and | | | | nutrition. If feeding becomes problematic try |
| stylophora coral. These shallow water bottom | | | | tempting them with a treat similar to what they |
| dwellers make their homes in hard coral | | | | would eat in nature. Live brine shrimp should do |
| formations. | | | | the trick. In time they will learn that dried shrimp, |
| Their descriptive name attributes to two distinct | | | | frozen food developed for carnivores and possibly |
| characteristics. Flame is derived from their bright | | | | even flake food are acceptable menu choices. |
| reddish orange coloration. They have a dark often | | | | Flame hawkfish are prone to experiencing a loss in |
| black horizontal stripe along the curvature of their | | | | their brilliant coloration in captivity. This is most |
| upper bodies. This stripe very much resembles a | | | | likely due to an as yet unidentified nutritional |
| Mohawk. However the word hawk refers to the | | | | deficiency. Regular supplements of vitamin |
| darkened regions surrounding their eyes. These | | | | enriched brine shrimp and chopped fresh sea food |
| dark areas are reminiscent to the black circles | | | | such as shrimp, squid and crab will help to keep |
| found around the eyes of many hawks. | | | | them healthy and prevent a reduction in color |
| This is a rather robust, disease resistant species. | | | | intensity. Maintaining an abundant supply of living |
| They make for good additions to a community | | | | rock will also prove beneficial. |
| tank. They generally ignore non-bottom dwellers. | | | | I nature this species lives in small communal |
| They will however demonstrate territorial | | | | harems. A single male will be accompanied by |
| behavior toward other bottom dwelling fish. It is | | | | anywhere from two to ten females. No obvious |
| therefore recommended that this be the only | | | | coloration differences exist between males and |
| bottom dwelling fish species in your aquarium. | | | | females. Males however tend to be a bit larger |
| They can grow to a maximum adult length of 4 | | | | that the females. In the wild mating occurs at |
| inches and may live in excess of 10 years. | | | | dusk. Eggs are left to drift away in the current. |
| Whether or not they make suitable marine reef | | | | Hawkfish are protogynous hermaphrodites. They |
| fish depends on the inhabitants in your tank. Their | | | | are all born as females. If a group of females is |
| natural diet consists primarily of crustaceans, snails | | | | introduced into an aquarium, the largest most |
| and smaller mollusks. They also have an affinity | | | | dominant of the bunch will undergo a |
| for hermit crabs. Coral is generally off the menu | | | | morphological transition into a male despite the |
| especially hard coral. They will view these as a | | | | fact that they are not known to breed in |
| place of natural habitation. This is a diurnal species. | | | | captivity. |
| It will be most active during the day and will seek | | | | |