CIRRHITIDAE


Oxycirrhites typus
(photo by Mark Strickland)


Oxycirrhites typus
Bleeker, 1857
Longnose Hawkfish

D X, 13; A III, 7; P1 13-15; LLp 51-53.

Body slender. Snout extremely long; canine teeth in jaws only slightly longer than inner villiform teeth; palatine teeth absent. A continuous dorsal fin notched between spinous and soft portions; 2-4 cirri from membrane near tip of each dorsal-fin spine; 5-6 lower rays of pectoral fins unbranched and thickened. Lateral line continuous; 4 rows of scales between lateral line and spinous portion of dorsal fin. Color: whitish with horizontal and near-vertical red bands forming a cross-hatch pattern. Size: maximum length about 13 cm. Distribution: Indo-Pacific and tropical eastern Pacific. Remarks: generally seen perched on black coral or gorgonians, usually at depths greater than 30 m. Feeds mainly on small crustaceans, both benthic and planktonic.