Species: Decodon puellaris, Red Hogfish, Red Hogfish Wrasse

Decodon puellaris (Poey, 1860)

Red Hogfish, Red Hogfish Wrasse

Moderately elongate, compressed; mouth protrusible, opens at front, thick lips; rear of top jawbone not visible on cheek; toothed grinding plates in throat; a pair of canines at front of top and bottom jaws, a canine tooth at rear of top jaw; gill rakers 15-19; gill membranes fused under throat; dorsal fin XI, 9-10, not obviously notched between spiny and soft parts; anal fin III, 10; lateral line unbroken, smoothly arched; scales large, 27-29 on lateral line; scales extend forward on head before eyes; preopercle completely scaled; bases of dorsal and anal fins without scales.

Red above, white below; 3 yellow stripes on head – 1 along top lip; 1 from eye to lower corner of operculum, 1 from snout, through eye to top corner of operculum; body scales with lines of yellow spots; rows of yellow spots along the bases of the dorsal and anal fins; tail fin with upper and lower edges yellow; juvenile: red; a large black ocellus on middle of last dorsal spines; a small black spot on the top of the tail fin base.

Reaches 30 cm.

Deep reefs.

Depth range: 18-275 m.

Bermuda to Brazil.