Giant hawkfish

Cirrhitus rivulatus

The giant hawkfish, ''Cirrhitus rivulatus'' is a species of hawkfish. It is a marine fish and the largest of the hawkfish family with maximum size of 60 cm in total length. It is known for its social behavior towards scuba divers and its uncanny ability to perch on its pectoral fins. This particular species can be found mainly along the Gulf of California, reaching as far as northern Colombia and the Galapagos Islands. It is a predator, mostly feeding on other small fish and crustaceans.
Hyeroglyphic hawkfish Galapagos (2005). The giant hawkfish has olive skin tone sporting blue and orange stripes or bars. Usually remaining motionless, it inhabits large boulders and rocky outcroppings at offshore islands. This pic was made by my then dive buddy F. Castaño. We shared the camera for pics during this trip. Cirrhitus rivulatus,Ecuador,Fall,Geotagged,Giant hawkfish,Spring

Naming

* Giant hawkfish United States
⤷  ''Chino mero'' Mexico

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCentrarchiformes
FamilyCirrhitidae
GenusCirrhitus
SpeciesC. rivulatus
Photographed in
Costa Rica
Ecuador