Spotfin Hogfish, Bodianus pulchellus

Spotfin Hogfish, Bodianus pulchellus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, February 2022. Length: 13 cm (5.1 inches). Catch, photograph and  identification courtesy of Dominick Porcelli, Lighthouse Point, Florida.

Spotfin Hogfish, Bodianus pulchellus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, February 2022. Length: 23 cm (9.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

The Spotfin Hogfish, Bodianus pulchellus, is a member of the Wrasse or Labridae Family that is known ion Mexico as vieja lomo negro. Globally there are thirty-eight species in the genus Bodianus, of which three are found in Mexican waters, two in the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Pacific Ocean.

The Spotfin Hogfish has a robust compressed body. They do not show sexual dimorphism and the males and females have similar colorations. They are a deep red color with of the caudal fin and its base, the rear of the dorsal fin being bright yellow. They have an indistinct white stripe that runs from the mouth to mid-body, a black blotch at the front of the dorsal fin, and red pectoral fins that have black margins. They have a pointed snout with a thick lipped protrusible mouth that opens in the front that is equipped with a canine tooth at the rear of the top jaw and strong canines at the front of both jaws. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 12 rays, and their dorsal fin has 12 spines and 9 to 11 rays. They have 15 or 16 gill rakes. Their lateral line is continuous and smoothly arched. They are covered with large scales.

The Spotfin Hogfish is found within coral reefs at depths between 10 m (33 feet) and 120 m (400 feet). They reach a maximum of 29 cm (11 inches) in length. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 0.6 kg (1 lb 5 oz) with the fish caught from within the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, October 2021. They are a diurnal species that feed on crabs, small shellfish, mollusks, snails and worms. Their juveniles provide cleaner services removing parasites from other fish. Reproduction is oviparous with distinct pairing during breeding. Their juveniles are preyed upon by the highly invasive, recently introduced Red Lionfish, Pterois volitans. The Spotfin Hogfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Spotfin Hogfish is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.

The Spotfin Hogfish is an easy species to identify due to its exotic coloration.

From a conservation perspective the Spotfin Hogfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are utilized as a human food fish at a low level and sold in some regions commercially. They are also a component of the aquarium trade with the majority of fish originating from Brazil.