Longnose Hawkfish
Oxycirrhites typus
Sighting evidence at Five Caves, Maui
Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC
Longnose hawkfish perch on black coral branches and gorgonian fans inside Five Caves' archways, using their pectoral fins to grip the substrate while scanning for small invertebrate prey below. They are protogynous hermaphrodites — dominant females can change sex to become males — and the territorial structure inside the caves allows careful observation of their hierarchical social dynamics.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Longnose Hawkfish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.