Spanish Hogfish

The Spanish Hogfish (Bodianus rufus) is a striking wrasse of the western Atlantic and Caribbean, easily recognized by its two-tone body: a purple-blue patch over the upper front half fading into bright yellow behind. Juveniles act as cleaners, picking parasites from larger fishes, while adults are robust reef foragers. It is a member of the hogfish group, wrasses with stout bodies and strong teeth. The bold colour split makes it one of the more instantly identifiable reef wrasses in the region.

Spanish Hogfish are identified by:

• A purple-blue block covering the head and upper front of the body.
• The rest of the body and fins bright yellow.
• Deep, robust wrasse body with a pointed snout, to ~40 cm.

The sharp purple-to-yellow colour division is diagnostic and separates it from the similarly shaped Spotfin Hogfish.

Spanish Hogfish live on coral reefs and rocky reefs from about 3 to 40 m across the western Atlantic, from Florida and the Bahamas through the Caribbean to Brazil. They favour clear-water reefs with ledges and structure. Juveniles occupy shallow reef areas where they set up cleaning stations.

Adult Spanish Hogfish forage over the reef for hard-shelled invertebrates such as crabs, brittle stars, sea urchins, and molluscs, crushing them with strong teeth. Juveniles are facultative cleaners, removing parasites from larger fishes. The species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, with large terminal males dominating and courting groups of females. They are diurnal and shelter in the reef at night.