TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Labridae (Wrasses)

Genus/species: Bodianus anthioides

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Brown head and forebody with a long pig-like snout, white rear body with scattered brown spots and a deeply forked tail.

Max length: 24.0 cm (9.5 in)

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DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Tropical Indian Ocean inhabiting seaward reefs at depths of 20–60 m (65- 200 ft).

DIET IN THE WILD: The Lyretail Hogfish is a benthic (bottom) feeder of invertebrates and small crustaceans.

REPRODUCTION: They are oviparous with distinct pairing during breeding.

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CONSERVATION: IUCN Red List Least Concern (LC)

REMARKS: Hogfish definition: Any of various wrasses of the genus Bodianus. Also described as possessing a very elongated snout which it uses to search for crustaceans buried in the sediment. Interestingly it is from this very long “pig-like” snout and its rooting behavior that the hogfish gets its name.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine coral reef 2016

Reef Fish Identification of the Tropical Pacific, Allen et al. Odyssey Pub. 2003 p.230

Ron’s flickr www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/albums/72157625992053826/

fishbase  www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?genusname=Bod...

EOL eol.org/pages/216945/details

IUCN www.iucnredlist.org/details/187715/0

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  wp.me/p1DZ4b-1FE