Bodianus

Bodianus axillaris

(Bennett, 1832)

Axilspot Hogfish

Likely Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea to South Africa, east to the Marshall, Marquesas, and Tuamotu Islands and north to Japan.

Size: 8 inches (20 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits rocky reefs, and found in caves and on ledges of shallow reef crests to deep drop-offs. Usually found at depths between 6 – 130 feet (2 – 40 m) where it feeds on benthic hard-shelled invertebrate.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade with the adult front body and head a bright fuchsia turning to white on the rear third of the body and a black spot on the upper rear dorsal and lower portion on the anal fin. Juveniles have a blackish body with usually nine white spots.

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)