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🌊 Marine Least Concern 🌡️ Tropical

Blackspotted hawkfish

Cristacirrhitus punctatus Cuvier, 1829
Max Length
17 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.6
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
-
Vulnerability
10.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Blackspotted hawkfish (Cristacirrhitus punctatus), first described by Cuvier, 1829 is a medium-sized fish in the family Cirrhitidae (order Centrarchiformes). Adults typically reach 17.00 cm in maximum length. It inhabits marine coastal and open-ocean environments. It occurs in Tropical waters. It feeds on a mix of small fish and invertebrates as a mid-level predator. On the IUCN Red List, it is classified as Least Concern.

Scientific Name
Cristacirrhitus punctatus
Authority
Cuvier, 1829
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
17 cm
Trophic Level
3.6
Vulnerability
10.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 6. Body mottled with irregular brown and pale brown blotches; upper 2/3 of head with blackish dots; curved blackish line posteriorly from eye .: fusiform / normal.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Blackspotted hawkfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal. Tropical South Africa.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
3.6±0.6

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00933 × L3.08 (TL)
Max TL
17cm
Dorsal Spines
10
Dorsal Rays
11
Anal Spines
3
Anal Rays
6

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2023

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Fishing Vulnerability
10.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.6
Predator
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
Cuvier, 1829

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Black-spotted Hawkfish · blackspotted hawkfish
🌍CES štětičkovec tmavoskvrnný
🇵🇹Portuguese Peixe-falcão-de-pintas-pretas
🇪🇸Spanish Halcón de manchas negras

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Cirrhitus mossambicus Smith 1951 Synonym
Cirrhitus nigropunctatus Schultz 1950 Synonym
Cirrhitus puncatus Cuvier 1829 Synonym
Cirrhitus punctatus Cuvier 1829 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 1 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

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