Paracirrhitus forsteri is a common hawkfish found in the Maldivian reefs, often seen perched on the outermost branches of Pocillopora or Acropora coral heads.
Details
§ 01
size
Common to 14 cm; max. 22.5 cm
color
Body yellowish with a broad blackish stripe on upper side (faint in some individuals, broken into large spots in others; often restricted to rear half of body). Head and front of body with numerous small dark reddish spots. Occasional individuals dark brown with orange-red spots anteriorly.
Typically located near the outer edges of reefs, they are often observed resting on live coral. They mainly feed on small fish, but sometimes consume crustaceans.
distinctive characters
This fish has a dorsal fin with 10 spines and 11 rays, an anal fin with 3 spines and 6 rays, 14 pectoral fin rays (with the uppermost and lower 7 rays unbranched), a body depth of 2.6-2.9 in standard length, no palatine teeth, an interorbital space and almost all of the snout covered in scales, a single cirrus from the membrane near the tip of each dorsal spine, and 5 or 6 rows of scales on the cheek.