Cyprinocirrhites polyactis

Cirrhitidae
Lyre-tail Hawkfish, Swallowtail Hawkfish
  • Cyprinocirrhites polyactis, NSW, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
    Cyprinocirrhites polyactis, NSW, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
  • Cyprinocirrhites polyactis, NSW, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
    Cyprinocirrhites polyactis, NSW, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
  • Cyprinocirrhites polyactis, NSW, Australia, Photo: Tom Davis
    Cyprinocirrhites polyactis, NSW, Australia, Photo: Tom Davis
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Robust yellowish to orange-brown body with rounded snout. Lack of distinctive markings, except for a small dark patch on dorsal fin at tip of second dorsal spine, dorsal spines with fin tassels. Behaviour also distinctive - unlike other hawkfishes, this species is often seen above the bottom in the water column, actively swimming and unable to maintain neutral buoyancy. Length to 15 cm.
Information
  • Max Size: 15 cm
  • Sea Temperature Range: 19.4-30.2°C
  • Depth: 10-132 m
  • Habitat: Coral Reef, Rocky Reef
Rarity
  • IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
  • Occurrence: Infrequent (3% of sites)
    Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
  • Abundance: Few (4 per transect)
    Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields
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