These fish can be very shy
This is the only species of hawkfish we have in the Atlantic basin! This 2”-3” reef dwelling fish was common to see where I used to live, in the Florida Keys. However, this fish was also a challenging one to get a photo of. This is because redspotted hawkfish are very skittish. They tend to perch on the bottom, occasionally moving around the reef. This perching resembles what a hawk might do, and thus how it got its name. The redspotted hawkfish will actually use its strong pelvic and pectoral fins to walk around, rather than swim. They can be perched on sponges, reef structure, and even fire coral (which they seem to be immune to). The redspotted hawkfish will remain motionless perched in their favorite hunting ground, watching and waiting for their next meal to drift by. Then when the moment is right, they attack. You may be thinking, interesting how this fish walks around at times rather than swims, why is that? This is due to the fact that the redspotted hawkfish does not have a swim bladder.
These fish can be very shy. When approached, they often hide in the rocky protection of the reef. If you approach slowly enough and hold your bubbles, sometimes you can get lucky and get a close shot. When you get a chance to look at this fish up close, it is pretty wild. The fish has a spotted face, a barred body, and tassels at the tips of its dorsal fin. It is captivating in black and white because you can see the complexity of the patterns. If this photo were in color, you would see that the spots on its head and dorsal fin are orange, as is the iris around the pupil. The body is white, with brownish-green vertical bars.
How do these fish reproduce? Interestingly, these fish are all born female. Some of these fish (typically the larger and more dominant) will later develop into males. This is called protogynous hermaphroditism. The males tend to form harems, essentially a group with one male and multiple smaller females. The male hawkfish will pelagically spawn with the members of the harem. The unfertilized eggs and sperm will meet in the water column and some of the eggs will begin the fertilization process, as they drift down current.
Where can I see these wild fish?
The best chance to see a redspotted hawkfish in the United States would be south Florida. Outside the United States, they can be seen in the Bahamas, parts of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and even Bermuda.
The male redspotted hawkfish tend to form harems
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