giant hawkfish
Cirrhitus rivulatus
Hawkfish of shallow reefs of the eastern Pacific, which stays motionless on the rocks and eats crustaceans and small fish. It is a sport fish and considered good to eat.
Also called: falcão-gigante, halcón mero, chino mero, giant hawkfish
- maximum
- 60 cm
- record/max.
- 4.2 kg
- depth
- 5–23 m
who is the giant hawkfish
Fish of the family Cirrhitidae, with a moderately deep, compressed body, reaching 60 cm and 4.2 kg. It lives alone on the bottom of shallow rocky reefs, 5 to 23 m deep, from the Gulf of California to northern Colombia, with records in the Galápagos. It stays almost still on rock ledges, well camouflaged, and feeds on crustaceans and small fish. It is considered a good food fish, is commercially fished and is used as a sport fish, especially on reefs.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the giant hawkfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Moderately deep, compressed body, with thick spines on the dorsal fin and small filaments (cirri) on the membranes between them. The pectoral fins are broad, with the lower part thicker and unbranched. The colour ranges from olive green to red, with four oblique dark bands edged in cobalt blue and similar dark bars on the head. The coral hawkfish, which lives on the same coast, is much smaller and has spots in horizontal rows.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Eastern Pacific of Latin America, from the Gulf of California to northern Colombia, on shallow rocky reefs, with records in the Galápagos.
Habitat: Shallow rocky reefs, 5 to 23 m deep, on rock ledges.
rules for the giant hawkfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
No danger to anglers has been recorded. The thick dorsal spines call for care when holding the fish.
in the kitchen
Considered a good fish to eat.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00933, b = 3.08; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Cirrhitus rivulatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cirrhitus rivulatusNames by country and language.
