Arc-eye hawkfish
(Paracirrhites arcatus)
General data
The arc-eye hawkfish has a relatively deep body, the standard length being around 2.7 times its length. It has a smooth upper preopercular margin and a slightly rounded to truncate caudal fin. The dorsal fin contains 10 spines and 11 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 6 soft rays, each dorsal fin spine being tipped with a branched cirrus.
This species reaches a maximum published total length of 20 cm (7.9 in).
This species has a variable background colour on the body, the typical colour being pale pinkish brown. There is a horseshoe-shaped mark to the rear of the eye that consists of three thin lines. The gill cover has three orange bands set in a light blue area. A white to pink stripe is frequently present from around halfway along the flank and running to the rear.
The arc-eye hawkfish is widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific.
