214: CIRRHITIDAE (HAWKFISHES)
Body mottled with large irregular brown and pale brown
blotches; upper 3j of head and body with numerous blackish
dots; a curved blackish line posteriorly from eye. Reaches
17 cm. Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, and South
Africa to the Bizana coast. A rocky shore species.
214.4 Cirrhitus punctatus: 5 em holotype of C. mossambicus (Mozambique Id.)
Genus Cyprinocirrhites Tanaka, 1917
One species.
214.5 Cyprinocirrhites polyactis
(Bleeker, 1875)
PLATE 83
Swallowtail hawkfish
Swaelstert-valkvis
Cirrhitiehthys po/yaelis Bleeker, 1875: 16 (Ambon). Cyprinoeirrhiles
po/yaelis: Smith, 1961: 517, No. 396a*; Randall, 1963: 443*; Smith, 1965:
28*; Winterbottom, 1978: 47.
o X,16-17; A III,6-7; P 14 (uppermost and lower 6 rays unbranched);
LL 45-49; 3 scale rows above LL; 4 rows of scales on cheek; GR
(3-4)+(10-13); interorbital space and dorsal part of snout scaled; body
depth 2.7-2.8 in SL; snout 2.7-2.8 in head; palatine teeth present; preoperde coarsely serrate; a tuft of cirri from membrane near tip of each 0 spine;
3rd 0 spine longest, 2.3-2.5 in body depth; 1st 0 soft-ray produced into a
filament; C lunate.
Body mottled light yellowish to orange-brown; outer ~ of
spinous D dusky; juveniles brilliant orange-gold. Attains
about 14 cm. East Africa to western Pacific; south to Algoa
Bay. Feeds on zooplankton. Generally found in 30 - 120 m.
214.5 Cyprinocirrhites po/yactis: 14 em (Madagascar).
666
Genus Paracirrhites Bleeker, 1875
Seven species; 2 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Second P ray unbranched; no scales on snout
before nostrils; a U-shaped mark extending
posteriorly and diagonally upward from eye ...... .. ......... P. arcallls
I b Second P ray branched; snout almost entirely
scaly; no U-shaped postocular mark ...................... .. ... P. forsleri
214.6 Paracirrhites arcatus
(Cuvier, 1829)
PLATES 83 & 84
Horseshoe hawkfish
Hoefyster-valkvis
Cirrhites areatus Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1829: 74 (Mauritius). Paracirrhiles arealus Smith, SFSA No. 396*; Randall, 1963: 411 *; Winterbottom,
1978: 47.
OX, 11; A III,6; P 14 (upper 2 and lower 6 or 7 rays unbranched); LL
45-50; 5 scale rows above LL; 5 or 6 rows of scales on cheek; GR
(4-5)+(12-13); interorbital space and snout to nostrils scaly; body depth
about 2.6 in SL; palatine teeth absent; preopercular margin smooth; a
single cirrus from membrane near tip of each 0 spine.
Body light greyish brown with a pink or white stripe on
upper side from below 7th D spine to C; a large V-shaped
area behind eye, enclosed by a tricoloured border of
orange, dark brown, and light blue. A 2nd colour form is
dark brown without the pale body stripe. Attains 14 cm.
Indo-Pacific south to the Transkei. A coral-reef species.
214.7 Paracirrhites torsteri
(Schneider, 1801)
PLATE 83
Freckled hawkfish
Gesproete valkvis
Grammistes forSleri Schneider, in Bloch & Schneider, 1801: 191
(Tahuata, Marquesas Ids.). Paracirrhitesforsteri: Smith, SFSA No. 395*;
Randall, 1963: 406*.
o X,l1; A I1I,6; P 14 (uppermost and lower 7 rays unbranched); LL
45-49; 5 scale rows above LL; 5 or 6 scale rows on cheek; GR (5-6)+
(11-13); interorbital space and almost all of snout scaly; body depth
2.6-2.8 in SL; palatine teeth absent; upper% of preopercular margin finely
serrate; a single cirrus from membrane near tip of each 0 spine.
Body yellowish with a broad blackish stripe on upper side
(faint on some individuals, broken into large spots on
others; often restricted to rear ~ of body); head and front of
body with numerous small dark reddish spots. Occasional
individuals dark brown with orange-red spots anteriorly.
Attains about 22 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Inhaca,
Mozambique. Often seen resting on live coral. Feeds heavily on small fishes, occasionally on crustaceans.
Body mottled with large irregular brown and pale brown
blotches; upper 3j of head and body with numerous blackish
dots; a curved blackish line posteriorly from eye. Reaches
17 cm. Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, and South
Africa to the Bizana coast. A rocky shore species.
214.4 Cirrhitus punctatus: 5 em holotype of C. mossambicus (Mozambique Id.)
Genus Cyprinocirrhites Tanaka, 1917
One species.
214.5 Cyprinocirrhites polyactis
(Bleeker, 1875)
PLATE 83
Swallowtail hawkfish
Swaelstert-valkvis
Cirrhitiehthys po/yaelis Bleeker, 1875: 16 (Ambon). Cyprinoeirrhiles
po/yaelis: Smith, 1961: 517, No. 396a*; Randall, 1963: 443*; Smith, 1965:
28*; Winterbottom, 1978: 47.
o X,16-17; A III,6-7; P 14 (uppermost and lower 6 rays unbranched);
LL 45-49; 3 scale rows above LL; 4 rows of scales on cheek; GR
(3-4)+(10-13); interorbital space and dorsal part of snout scaled; body
depth 2.7-2.8 in SL; snout 2.7-2.8 in head; palatine teeth present; preoperde coarsely serrate; a tuft of cirri from membrane near tip of each 0 spine;
3rd 0 spine longest, 2.3-2.5 in body depth; 1st 0 soft-ray produced into a
filament; C lunate.
Body mottled light yellowish to orange-brown; outer ~ of
spinous D dusky; juveniles brilliant orange-gold. Attains
about 14 cm. East Africa to western Pacific; south to Algoa
Bay. Feeds on zooplankton. Generally found in 30 - 120 m.
214.5 Cyprinocirrhites po/yactis: 14 em (Madagascar).
666
Genus Paracirrhites Bleeker, 1875
Seven species; 2 in our area.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Second P ray unbranched; no scales on snout
before nostrils; a U-shaped mark extending
posteriorly and diagonally upward from eye ...... .. ......... P. arcallls
I b Second P ray branched; snout almost entirely
scaly; no U-shaped postocular mark ...................... .. ... P. forsleri
214.6 Paracirrhites arcatus
(Cuvier, 1829)
PLATES 83 & 84
Horseshoe hawkfish
Hoefyster-valkvis
Cirrhites areatus Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1829: 74 (Mauritius). Paracirrhiles arealus Smith, SFSA No. 396*; Randall, 1963: 411 *; Winterbottom,
1978: 47.
OX, 11; A III,6; P 14 (upper 2 and lower 6 or 7 rays unbranched); LL
45-50; 5 scale rows above LL; 5 or 6 rows of scales on cheek; GR
(4-5)+(12-13); interorbital space and snout to nostrils scaly; body depth
about 2.6 in SL; palatine teeth absent; preopercular margin smooth; a
single cirrus from membrane near tip of each 0 spine.
Body light greyish brown with a pink or white stripe on
upper side from below 7th D spine to C; a large V-shaped
area behind eye, enclosed by a tricoloured border of
orange, dark brown, and light blue. A 2nd colour form is
dark brown without the pale body stripe. Attains 14 cm.
Indo-Pacific south to the Transkei. A coral-reef species.
214.7 Paracirrhites torsteri
(Schneider, 1801)
PLATE 83
Freckled hawkfish
Gesproete valkvis
Grammistes forSleri Schneider, in Bloch & Schneider, 1801: 191
(Tahuata, Marquesas Ids.). Paracirrhitesforsteri: Smith, SFSA No. 395*;
Randall, 1963: 406*.
o X,l1; A I1I,6; P 14 (uppermost and lower 7 rays unbranched); LL
45-49; 5 scale rows above LL; 5 or 6 scale rows on cheek; GR (5-6)+
(11-13); interorbital space and almost all of snout scaly; body depth
2.6-2.8 in SL; palatine teeth absent; upper% of preopercular margin finely
serrate; a single cirrus from membrane near tip of each 0 spine.
Body yellowish with a broad blackish stripe on upper side
(faint on some individuals, broken into large spots on
others; often restricted to rear ~ of body); head and front of
body with numerous small dark reddish spots. Occasional
individuals dark brown with orange-red spots anteriorly.
Attains about 22 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Inhaca,
Mozambique. Often seen resting on live coral. Feeds heavily on small fishes, occasionally on crustaceans.