Longnose Hawkfish

Photo: jeyre · CC BY

Longnose hawkfish perch on black coral branches and gorgonian fans inside Five Caves' archways, using their pectoral fins to grip the substrate while scanning for small invertebrate prey below. They are protogynous hermaphrodites — dominant females can change sex to become males — and the territorial structure inside the caves allows careful observation of their hierarchical social dynamics.