Species profile—Cyprinocirrhites polyactis (lyretail hawkfish)
Classification
Animalia (animals) → Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) → Cirrhitidae (hawkfishes) → Cyprinocirrhites polyactis (lyretail hawkfish)
Sighting data
Species details
- Kingdom
- Animalia (animals)
- Class
- Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
- Family
- Cirrhitidae (hawkfishes)
- Scientific name
- Cyprinocirrhites polyactis (Bleeker, 1874)
- Common name
- lyretail hawkfish
- WildNet taxon ID
- 32112
- Conservation significant
- No
- Wetland status
- Wetland Dependant Species
- Endemicity
- Native
- Pest status
- Nil
- Description
- The lyretail hawkfish varies from pink to orange to brown in colour. It has a greatly elongated first dorsal ray (in the middle of the fin along the spine) and long lower pectoral rays behind the gills. The tail is half-moon shaped with long upper and lower rays. It has numerous short filaments (cirri) at the tip of each dorsal spine along the backbone. This fish grows to a length of 15cm. It differs from other Australian hawkfish species by having a shorter snout and the half-moon shaped tail fin.
- Distribution
- The species occurs in tropical and warm temperate marine waters of the Indo-west Pacific. In Australia, it is known from Western Australia and from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland to southern New South Wales.
- Distributional limits
- 0, 0
0, 0 - Species environment
- Marine
- Habitat
- The species inhabits rubble areas on coral reefs and inshore waters. The lyretail hawkfish is also commonly found in deep water in sponge habitats.
- Behaviour
- Most Australian hawkfish species are usually seen on the bottom; however the lyretail hawkfish is often found swimming high above the bottom where it feeds on zooplankton.
- Diet
- The lyretail hawkfish feeds on zooplankton.
- Notes
- Contributors: Mellisa Mayhew 16/10/2008; Wayne Martin 09/11/2008
- References
- Egerton, L. (ed.) (2005). Encyclopedia of Australian Wildlife, (Revised Edition). Readers Digest Pty Ltd, Sydney.
Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. (2006). Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Volume 35.2, p. 1346. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Collingwood.
McGrouther, M. (2005). Find a Fish: Lyre-tail Hawkfish, Cyprinocirrhites polyactis Bleeker, 1875. Australian Museum, Sydney, accessed 16/10/2008, [http://www.austmus.gov.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/cpolyact.htm]. - Profile author
- Mellisa Mayhew (09/11/2008)
Other resources
Data source
This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=32112.
This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.
