Axilspot Hogfish

Bodianus axillaris

The bastard hogfish (Bodianus axillaris), also known as the turncoat hogfish or coral hogfish, is a medium-sized wrasse reaching about 20 cm in length. Adults display a bicolored pattern with the front half of the body dark maroon-brown and the rear half white, separated by a sharp boundary. A prominent black spot marks the base of the pectoral fin. Juveniles look completely different, with a dark brown to black body adorned with bright orange-red spots and a yellow-edged ocellus on the soft dorsal fin. This dramatic color transformation as the fish matures can confuse observers into thinking they are different species. Found throughout the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to the Pacific Islands, it inhabits coral-rich reef slopes and walls, typically between 10 and 40 meters. Juveniles often act as cleaner fish, picking parasites from larger species at cleaning stations. Adults are more solitary and feed on small invertebrates, crustaceans, and worms. The species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, with females transforming into males.