About Cirrhitops fasciatus (Bennett, 1828)
The redbarred hawkfish, Cirrhitops fasciatus, has 2 unbranched upper pectoral fin rays and 6 unbranched lower pectoral fin rays. Its dorsal fin contains 10 spines and 14, occasionally 15, soft rays. Every dorsal fin spine has a tassel of cirri at its tip, and the membranes between these spines have moderate incisions, with the exception of a deep incision between the fifth and sixth spines. A small number of small teeth are located on the roof of the mouth. Large serrations are found along the upper three fifths of the preopercular margin, while the remaining margin of the preoperculum is smooth. The dorsal profile of the snout is convex. The caudal fin is truncate, and the pelvic fin extends past the anus. This species reaches a maximum total length of 12.7 cm (5.0 in). The background color of the head and body is whitish, with reddish or brown vertical bands on the flanks and back and speckling on the face. The redbarred hawkfish is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Records of this species from Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands actually refer to Cirrhitops mascarenensis, and the record from Japan is a misidentification. It occurs at depths between 1 and 52 meters (3 feet 3 inches to 170 feet 7 inches), and inhabits a range of reef and reef-associated habitats.
