When it comes to keeping hawkfishes in aquaria, one of the more common admonitions is to avoid housing these predators with fish or crustaceans small enough to swallow. For most of the hawkfish species that grace our tanks, which generally…
The Flame Hawkfish: a Vision in Red
I’ve long been a fan of the hawkfishes, and many a specimen has graced my various tanks over the years—most often the readily available and affordable (for me) Falco’s hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco). But another hawk that I’ve always found particularly…
Ecsenius bicolor: a Beginner-Friendly Blenny with Real Character
Included in the Indo-Pacific genus Ecsenius are several interesting, beginner-friendly, generally aquarium-worthy blennies, among them the popular bicolor blenny (E. bicolor). This species’ modest size and bottom-dwelling habit also make it a great choice for smaller aquarium systems. Physical traits…
4 Techniques for Target Feeding Marine Fish
Feeding saltwater fish isn’t always a simple matter of plopping food in the water and looking on as the frenzy ensues. In any community of fishes, some species (or individual specimens) are going to be more aggressive in their eating…
Falco’s Hawkfish: I’ve Got My Eye on You!
Looking back at the various marine aquariums I’ve kept over the years, it occurs to me that one particular species has probably been included in my livestock lineups more often than any other—Falco’s hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco), a.k.a. the dwarf hawkfish.…