Species: Bodianus pulchellus, Spotfin hogfish, Spotfin Hogfish Wrasse
Bodianus pulchellus (Poey, 1860)
Spotfin hogfish
Body robust, compressed; snout pointed; mouth protrusible, opens at front, thick lips; rear of top jawbone not visible on cheek; toothed grinding plates in throat; a canine tooth at rear of top jaw, strong canines at front of both jaws; gill rakers 15-16; gill membranes fused under throat; dorsal fin XII, 9-11, not obviously notched between spiny and soft parts; anal fin III, 12; lateral line unbroken, smoothly arched; scales large, 29-31 with pores on lateral line.
Juvenile: bright yellow, a large black blotch covering first 4 spines of the dorsal fin. Adult: head, body, pelivics, anal, front ¾ of dorsal fin, lower part of tail base and lower edge of tail fin deep red, with an indistinct white stripe from mouth to mid-body; pectoral fin red, with dark upper tip; tail base, rear of dorsal fin and tail fin bright yellow; a black blotch at front of dorsal fin.
Reaches 29 cm.
Coral reefs.
Depth range: 10-120 m, usually below 20 m.
S Carolina to Brazil, and the E Atlantic.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Planktivore
- Ectoparasite cleaner
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Sea-stars/cucumbers/urchins
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Mobile benthic worms
- Zooplankton
- Data
- Ectoparasites
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends South of GC
- Continent
- Extends N + S of GC
- Also in Brazil
- All species..
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- Extends North of GC
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 29
- Depth Range Min
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- 10
- Depth Range Max
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- 120
