Cirrhitichthys falco is a compact hawkfish dressed in whitish to cream or pale-pink coloration, overlaid with reddish-brown bars, saddles, and spots that condense into orange-to-reddish blotches toward the rear of the body. Reddish markings radiate outward from the eyes, short cirri tuft the tips of the dorsal spines, and the thickened lower pectoral rays function as props that let the fish lock itself onto rock and coral. Maximum recorded length is about 3 inches, making it one of the more manageable members of the family for mixed community systems. The species ranges widely across tropical Indo-Pacific reefs, from the Maldives east to Samoa, north to Japan, and south to Australia and New Caledonia, where it rests on and within coral heads.

Adults are well served by a 30-gallon aquarium or larger, and larger systems offer greater stability along with more room for the fish to establish territory without pressuring tankmates. The aquascape matters more than open swimming volume: build in abundant live rock, ledges, caves, branching coral-like structures, and exposed lookout points. This hawkfish spends far more time perched and hopping between vantage points than swimming, since adults lack a swim bladder and brace themselves with strong pelvic and pectoral fins. Position the most attractive perches away from delicate corals so repeated sitting does not irritate sensitive tissue. Stable conventional marine parameters suit the species, with ammonia and nitrite kept undetectable. A reef system or a fish-only display both work provided the rockwork gives the fish somewhere to sit.