About Pixy Hawkfish
Hawkfish with a perched, alert posture and reddish blotchy markings. Personality-driven and undemanding — but it considers small ornamental shrimp and tiny fish to be food. Compatible with most reef inhabitants over 2 inches.
The coral hawkfish, the pixy hawkfish or sharp-headed hawkfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a hawkfish belonging to the family Cirrhitidae. It is native to tropical reefs of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It occasionally is found in the aquarium trade.
Notes from the editors
What it looks like. Compact red-and-white blotched body. Perches alertly on rockwork rather than swimming continuously — distinctive posture. Adult size ~4 inches.
In your tank. Personality-driven and quickly tames to the keeper. Reef-compatible with caution: will eat small ornamental shrimp (sexy shrimp, anemone shrimp), small gobies, and similar bite-sized inverts. Compatible with most fish over 2 inches.
Care notes. Aggressive toward other hawkfish; usually housed singly. Will perch on flat rocks or coral and dart at passing food.
Sourcing and feeding. Wild-collected from Indo-Pacific reefs; widely available and inexpensive ($25–50). Carnivore — mysis, krill, small meaty pieces.
Care info is a starting point, not a guarantee. Individual specimens, water chemistry, and tankmate dynamics vary. Verify against multiple sources and adjust to what you observe. See our terms & disclaimers.
Related fish
Sources & attribution
- Taxonomy and accepted name from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS AphiaID 218853).
- Description content adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo: no rights reserved · CC0 (via iNaturalist or Wikimedia Commons).