Species: Cirrhitus rivulatus, Giant hawkfish, Hieroglyphic hawkfish


Cirrhitus rivulatus Valenciennes, 1846
Giant hawkfish, Hieroglyphic hawkfish
Body deep, not very compressed; head deep, blunt; a fringe of cirri on rear edge of front nostril; bone under front of eye with partly free rear margin; mouth moderately large; a row of small canines on jaws with a band of simple teeth inside those; teeth on center and sides of roof of mouth; upper margin of preopercle finely serrated or smooth; operculum with 2 flat spines; dorsal fin X, 11-12, continuous, slightly notched between spines and rays, membranes between spines deeply indented, each spine with a large bunch of cirri at the tip; anal fin III, 6; tail fin bluntly straight edged; lower 7 rays of the pectoral stout, with membranes deeply notched, distinctly longer than other rays, top 1 & lower 7 pectoral rays unbranched; pelvic I, 5, its origin behind pectoral base; scales smooth, none between eyes; > 12 irregular rows of small scales on cheek; 45-49 on lateral line.
Greyish brown with 5 "bars", each composed of a "maze" of golden-brown markings with black margins narrowly surrounded by blue; head with broad golden-brown spoke-like bands radiating from eye, these also with black margin narrowly outlined with blue; 2-3 white spots on upper back, sometimes another on tail fin; juveniles white with dark brown bars on body, bars on head reddish; spinous dorsal fin red.
Size: attains 60 cm; it is the largest member of the family.
Habitat: juveniles found in shallow surge zone, adults on rocky reefs.
Depth: 1-30 m.
Southern Baja and the northern Gulf of California to northern Peru and all the offshore Islands.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Corals
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Pelagic
- No data
- Global Endemism
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- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Regional Endemism
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- Island (s)
- TEP endemic
- All species
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 60
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 30