The Falco Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco) is a marine (saltwater) fish in the Cirrhitidae family. It is also called the Dwarf Hawkfish. 

The Falco Hawkfish is pinkish-red and white with vertical bands. Its dorsal (back) fin has 10 spines with tassels, or fringes, on the tips of the spines. 

It grows to about 7 centimetres (3 inches) in length. 

It is native to the waters of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean from the Maldives to Samoa, and to northern Australia. It prefers tropical reefs and lagoons.

The Falco Hawkfish rests on the bottom of the ocean. It feeds on fish larvae, crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates on the seabed. 

It can change its sex. The dominant male lives with several females. If a group becomes too large, one of the females becomes a dominant male and leads its own group. A male can also become a female and lay eggs.

[Location of photographs: Tashkent Zoo, Uzbekistan]

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM