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Axilspot Hogfish
Bodianus axillaris (Bennett, 1831)
An Axilspot Hogfish at a depth of 12m, North Solitary Island, New South Wales, May 2002. View larger image.
A juvenile Axilspot Hogfish at a depth of 14m, North Solitary Island, New South Wales, January 2000. View larger image.
A Map Pufferfish (view fact sheet for this species) being cleaned by two Axilspot Hogfish at a depth of 28m, "Steve's Bommie", Ribbon Reef #3, Great Barrier Reef, off Cooktown. View larger image.
Adult Axilspot Hogfish are red-brown anteriorly, grading to white posteriorly. They have a large black spot on the pectoral fin base, on the soft dorsal fin and on the anal fin. Juveniles are black with two rows of large white spots.
The Axilspot Hogfish grows to 20cm in length.
This species has a widespread Indo-Pacific distribution.
In Australia it is recorded from the south-western coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the central coast of New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
