Bodianus axillaris

Bodianus axillaris, the axilspot hogfish, coral pigfish or turncoat hogfish, is a species of wrasse native to the Indo-Pacific.



Description
The axilspot hogfish is sexually dimorphic with the adult males being coloured reddish-brown on the front part of their bodies contrasting with the white posterior end and having a sizeable black spot at the base of the pectoral fin, as well as on the dorsal and anal fins. The females and the juveniles are a blackish colour marked with white blotches along the upper and lower flanks. The juveniles of this species resemble those of the split-level hogfish (Bodianus mesothorax) but possess white instead of yellow spots. It grows to a standard length of 20 cm.

Distribution
Axilspot hogfish are found in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to South Africa, Marshall Islands, Marquesan, and Tuamoto Islands, north to Japan.

Habitat and biology
The adults of the axilspot hogfish are found in clear lagoon and along seaward reefs where they are common in clear shallow waters at depths of between 1 and 8 m. The larger fish are occasionally found in deeper water below 27 m. The juveniles are found singly in caves or under overhangs where they behave as cleaner fish, adults will sometimes behave in this way too. Their diet is made up of benthic, hard-shelled, invertebrates such as molluscs and crustaceans. It is oviparous and the males and females form distinct pairs when spawning.

Human use
It is infrequently encountered in the aquarium trade, and is not a species of interest to commercial fisheries.

Species description
The axilspot hogfish was formally described by the English zoologist Edward Turner Bennett as Labrus axillaris in 1832 with the type locality being given as Mauritius.