Cirrhitoidei

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Cirrhitoidei is a suborder of ray-finned fishes in the order Centrarchiformes. It includes several families, such as Cirrhitidae (hawkfishes), Chironemidae, Aplodactylidae, Cheilodactylidae, and Latridae. Examples of species in this group are the stocky hawkfish Cirrhitus pinnulatus and the bastard trumpeter Latridopsis forsteri.

Taxonomy and history
- Cirrhitoidei used to be treated as Cirrhitoidea, a superfamily within the suborder Percoidei of the order Perciformes.
- Molecular studies show Cirrhitoidei is a single, natural group (monophyletic) but place it in the new order Centrarchiformes. Some classification systems (such as the 5th edition of Fishes of the World) still recognize Cirrhitoidea as a superfamily within Perciformes.

Relationships among families
- In 1995, Greenwood suggested Cirrhitidae is the most basal (primitive) family, with Chironemidae next, while Aplodactylidae, Cheilodactylidae, and Latridae have less clear relationships.
- A 2004 molecular study proposed expanding Latridae to include some Cheilodactylidae species. The same edition of Fishes of the World notes that more studies are needed to fully resolve the group's evolutionary tree.

Key characteristics
- Pelvic fins are positioned well behind the pectoral fins.
- The ventral 5–8 rays of the pectoral fins are simple, unbranched, thickened, and sometimes separated from each other.
- The anal fin typically has three spines.