All fish / Labridae

Coral Hogfish

Bodianus mesothorax

Also known as mesothorax hogfish, splitlevel hogfish, eclipse hogfish, blackbelt hogfish, black belt hogfish, coral pigfish, split level hogfish, ケサガケベラ, 中胸普提鱼, 黑带普提鱼

Adults have a dark wine-red to brown front half, divided by a black diagonal band from a yellow rear half, while juveniles are black with large yellow spots. It is a hardy, active wrasse that brings strong colour to large fish-only or reef aquariums with sturdy tankmates.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

19 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, or as a pair in a very large tank

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, chopped shrimp and squid, krill, mussel and quality marine pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean: Christmas Island and Indonesia to Japan, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and northern Australia

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that scatters pelagic eggs in open water. It has very rarely, if ever, been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

It eats small crustaceans, snails, bristleworms and sometimes tiny fish, so it is not safe with ornamental shrimps or small invertebrates. Older fish can become pushy with small, peaceful tankmates.