Bodianus anthioides

(Bennett, 1832)

Lyretail Hogfish

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea to South Africa, east to the Line and Tuamotu Islands, north to Southern Japan, and south to New Caledonia and the Austral Islands.

Size: 9 inches (23 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits steep outer reef slopes rich in gorgonians, seawhips and black corals and usually found at depths between 20 – 200 feet (6 – 60 m) where it feeds on benthic invertebrate.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade with the adult front body and head an orange brown and the aft body white with several black spots. Juveniles a similar color division, but front body half is a yellowish orange.

Can be maintained in either fish-only or reef aquariums, which should provide hiding places and lots of open swimming area. Preferable tankmates are groupers, angelfishes, hawkfishes, and moderately aggressive triggerfishes.

Requires a meaty diet, including fortified brine shrimp, mysis, black worms and other meaty type marine-based frozen foods, including flake foods, and should be fed two or three times per day.

May be very difficult to get feeding in the beginning, and if so, try some live foods, such as black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) or adult fortified brine shrimp.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Labroidei

Family: Labridae

Genus: Bodianus

FYI: Can be aggressive towards smaller peaceful species.

Since they mostly feed upon worms and crustaceans, they pose a danger in reef tanks.

Will disturb sandbeds by blowing jets of water into it to find buried prey.

Usually sleep under rock shelves, on or under a coral branch, in a crevice, or directly on the sand surface.

Hardy species.

Do not have any similar colored species in the aquarium, as this species will become very aggressive towards it. Yet other species in this genus can be added, yet all should be introduced at the same time.

Juveniles may provide a cleaning service.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: With caution

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Moderately aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons

Temperature Range: 72- 82°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5