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Illustration of Giant hawkfish
fishing forecast

giant hawkfish

Cirrhitus rivulatus · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the giant hawkfish

how to recognize it

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.

Also called: falcão-gigante, halcón mero, chino mero, giant hawkfish

don't confuse with:

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Shallow rocky reefs, 5 to 23 m deep, on rock ledges.

Eastern Pacific of Latin America, from the Gulf of California to northern Colombia, on shallow rocky reefs, with records in the Galápagos.

rules for the giant hawkfish

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.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

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%.

more about 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.

Family: Cirrhitidae · predator

in the kitchen

Considered a good fish to eat.

similar species

sources and references (2)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Cirrhitus rivulatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cirrhitus rivulatusNames by country and language.