Longnose Hawkfish

About

The longnose hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) is one of the most recognizable fish in the reef hobby, and that elongated snout is the first thing anyone notices. The body is white or cream with a bold red grid pattern. Horizontal and vertical lines that cross to form a distinctive checked look. In the wild, this species ranges across a huge swath of the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea down to South Africa and all the way out to Hawaii, plus a separate population along the eastern Pacific coast from the Gulf of California into northern Colombia. Out on the reef it tends to favor steep outer slopes battered by strong currents, typically deeper than 25 meters, where it perches inside large gorgonian sea fans and black corals. That habit of sitting motionless and waiting for small crustaceans to drift by carries straight into the aquarium. In a home tank, it will immediately claim a favorite perch and defend it with genuine attitude. This is a territorial fish and it will let tankmates know it. Pairs are monogamous in the wild, and spawning in captivity has been documented. It's a manageable choice for hobbyists with some saltwater experience, though its predatory instincts mean small shrimp and tiny fish are at risk.