coral hawkfish
Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus · Cirrhitidae · predator
Small hawkfish of coral reefs, of very variable colour, which lives on corals and eats crustaceans and small fish. It has commercial use, mainly for aquariums.
Also called: falcão-de-coral, halcón de coral, coral hawkfish
- maximum
- 15 cm
- depth
- 10–25 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the coral hawkfish
who is the coral hawkfish
Small fish of the family Cirrhitidae, growing to 15 cm. It lives in areas of rich coral and clear water in lagoons, channels and reefs, from 1 to 40 m deep, usually 10 to 25 m. In the eastern Pacific it occurs from the Gulf of California to Colombia, with records in the Galápagos, and the species extends into the Indo-Pacific. It sits on or within corals and feeds on crustaceans and small fish. Its commercial value is mainly for aquariums. It spawns pelagically, rising through the water column.
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 coral hawkfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Males defend territory and form harems.
identification
Small hawkfish with a moderately deep, compressed body. Its colour varies widely, from pale with grey or black spots to pink with bright red spots. Usually it is pale, with horizontal rows of dark brown square spots, a row of smaller spots on the lateral line between the larger ones, and dark dots on the head. By its size and spots, it is told apart from the giant hawkfish, which is much larger.
where found
Eastern Pacific of Latin America, from the Gulf of California to Colombia, on coral reefs, with records in the Galápagos; it also occurs in the Indo-Pacific.
Habitat: Corals and rocks of clear-water reefs and lagoons, 1 to 40 m deep, most commonly 10 to 25 m.
rules for the coral 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. As it is small, handle it with a wet hand and return it to the water.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01549, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). 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: Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cirrhitichthys oxycephalusNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: