The Arc-Eye Hawkfish (Paracirrhites arcatus) can be identified by the arc of colors behind its eye; despite multiple possibilities for its body colors, that arc is unchanging. (The different colors do not indicate the sex of the fish.) The Arc-Eye Hawkfish forms territorial harems, with one male defending a territory with multiple females and juveniles.

This hawkfish was photographed in about 20 feet of water off the south Kohala Coast near Puako Beach on the Big Island of Hawaii.