Bodianus rufus (Linnaeus 1758)

Analogues: Larval Thalassoma bifasciatum can appear similar but have a narrower body, smaller eye, and the dorsal-fin origin is distinctly forward on the body.

Diagnosis: The fin-ray count of D-XII,10 A-III,12 and Pect-16 indicates Bodianus. Clepticus parrae shares the median-fin ray count but has one more pectoral-fin ray and a different body shape. The two Caribbean Bodianus spp. share their fin-ray counts, but B. rufus is far more common than the deep-water species B. pulchellus (although the latter cannot be excluded for the pre-transitional larval stages). B. rufus larvae develop into a bicolored recruit with the anterior lower-half dark blue and the rear and upper-half yellow (in contrast to adults where it switches to the anterior upper-half blue). Recruits of B. pulchellus are uniformly yellow. (U)

Description: Body relatively thin, long and wide with a large eye and a terminal, pointed, small mouth. Pectoral fins medium length. Pelvic fins short. Dorsal and anal-fin bases relatively long, caudal peduncle short and wide.

Studies at the Saba Reef, one of the richest fish assemblages in the Caribbean Basin, have indicated the chief threats to B. rufus and other reef fishes are overfishing and the residual impacts of the particular chemical dispersant used by the USA in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; this chemical, Corexit 9500, has high persistence and toxicity to a gamut of marine fauna. Studies by Burke et al. suggest that concentrations of dispersant and other water pollutants are of particular concern in critical lagoon nurseries; these studies suggest that the toxicity of residual dispersant may be much more significant to reef fishes than the actual petroleum release of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill itself. Corexit 9500, is known to be much more toxic than the petroleum chemicals it is meant to disperse; moreover, the combined toxicity of Corexit 9500 and petroleum is more toxic to juvenile fish than either petroleum or Corexit alone.

Head, upper front part of body, and front of dorsal fin blue if from shallow water, red if from deep; rest of body and tail yellow. Dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins mostly blue or red-yellow at rear (Ref. 26938).

Oviparous (Ref. 205). Forms permanent harem groups composed of a single male and several smaller females (Ref. 55398). Monandric species (Ref. 55398). Sex reversal is completed in 7-10 days (Ref. 34185, 34247). Length at sex change = 17.28 cm TL (Ref. 55398). Spawning occurs at dusk (Ref. 55398).

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 11; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 11 - 13

Inhabits rocky or coral reefs (Ref. 9710). Feeds on brittle stars, crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins (Ref. 9710). Mobile invertebrate feeder (Ref. 57616, 126840). Cleaned by scarlet striped cleaner shrimp (Lysmata grabhami), goby (Gobiosoma evelynae and others), wrasse (Thalassoma trifasciatum), and hogfish (Bodianus rufus) as observed on the coral reefs in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles (Ref. 36810). Also cleaned by Elacatinus figaro observed off the coast of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil (Ref. 40102) and by Halichoeres cyanocephalus observed off the coast of Espirito Santo, southeastern Brazil (Ref. 31373).

Adults inhabit rocky or coral reefs (Ref. 9710). Feed on brittle stars, crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins (Ref. 9710). Juveniles actively pick parasites from larger fishes (Ref. 5521). A protogynous hermaphrodite (Ref. ). Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). May hybridize with spotfin hogfish, B. pulchellus (Ref. 40096). Marketed fresh (Ref. 3726). Maximum depth reported from Ref. 27115.

fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial; price category: very high; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

The Spanish hogfish, Bodianus rufus, is a species of wrasse native to the western Atlantic Ocean, where it can be found from North Carolina and Bermuda through the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico to southern Brazil. It inhabits coral or rock reefs at depths of 1 to 70 m (3.3 to 229.7 ft). While the adults feed on such prey as molluscs (snails, mussels, and squid), crustaceans (Mysis and brine shrimp), echinoderms (brittle stars and sea urchins), worms, and small fish, the juveniles act as cleaner fishes. This species can reach a length of 40 cm (16 in), though most do not exceed 28 cm (11 in). This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can be found in the aquarium trade. When Marcus Elieser Bloch named the genus Bodianus he used Bodianus bodianus as the type species of the genus, this is a junior synonym of Bodianus rufus.