Dwarf Hawkfish

The Falco hawkfish is a tiny but bold reef resident known for its “perch and pounce” lifestyle. With a compact, speckled pink-and-white body and distinctive spiky dorsal fin, this hawkfish is often seen sitting motionless on coral branches, scanning for prey.

Native to the Indo-Pacific, including Australia’s northern reefs, Falco hawkfish prefer shallow waters with plenty of coral heads or rocky outcrops to perch on. Unlike fast swimmers, they rely on their excellent eyesight and ambush tactics to snap up small crustaceans, plankton, and fish larvae.

Rather than swimming constantly, they “hop” from perch to perch using their thick, pectoral fins—sort of like tiny reef birds. This behaviour, along with their upright, surveying posture, is what earned them the name “hawkfish.”

One of their most fascinating traits is their ability to change sex. Falco hawkfish live in small harems, and if the dominant male dies, the highest-ranking female can change into a male, sometimes within just a few days. Even more surprising, they can change back if needed.

Despite their small size, only about 6cm long, Falco hawkfish are known to be territorial and feisty, often defending their favourite perches from much larger fish.