Bodianus bilunulatus

(Lacepede, 1801)

Tarry Hogfish

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East coast of Africa to Japan, including the Philippines and New Caledonia.

Size: 20 inches (50 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits rocky reefs rich in coral growth and usually found at depths between 10 – 500 feet (3 – 150 m) where it feeds on benthic hard-shelled invertebrate.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade having white body with thin red horizontal stripes, a yellow tail and a black saddle above the caudal peduncle.

Best maintained in fish-only aquariums, as this species gets quite large and will rearrange bottom dwelling corals in its search for tasty bottom dwelling invertebrates. 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 annoy smaller peaceful species.

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: Fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Moderately aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 250 gallons

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

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5