Range: Indo-Pacific Ocean: Mauritius and Maldive Islands, New Guinea, and southern Japan

Size: Up to 4 in (10 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabit very deep drop-off areas and sandy slopes covered with rock and boulders and some soft corals in 100 to 200 depths (300 - 60 m)

General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 72 - 80°F (22 - 27°C) and has a natural diet of benthic invertebrate. Requires a meaty diet, including fortified brine shrimp, mysis, black worms and other meaty type frozen foods with two or three feedings per day. Provide numerous hiding places. Juveniles provide a cleaning service. Sometimes bury themselves if frightened. Usually, they sleep under rock shelves, on or under a coral branch, in a crevice, or directly on the sand surface, however, providing a deep sandbed of about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of fine-grained sand would be a good idea. Since they mostly feed upon benthic invertebrates they can pose a danger in some reef tanks. One of the better Hogfish.

Aquarium Suitability: * & * *