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Diana's Hogfish
Bodianus diana (Lacepède, 1801)
A Diana's Hogfish at a depth of 26m, "Captain's Table", Wreck Bay, far northern Great Barrier Reef, November 2001. View larger image.
A Diana's Hogfish at a depth of 26m, "Captain's Table", Wreck Bay, far northern Great Barrier Reef, November 2001. View larger image.
A juvenile Diana's Hogfish at a depth of 10m, "Steve's Bommie", Ribbon Reef #3, Great Barrier Reef off Cooktown, Queensland, December 2001. View larger image.
Diana's Hogfish can be recognised by its colouration. It has a purplish-brown head and a yellow body. The upper sides have four yellow spots and a region of dark spots posteriorly.
There is a large dark spot on the pelvic fins and anteriorly on the anal fin. The caudal and anal fins both have a smaller black spot. The scales have brown margins.
Juveniles look very different from the adults. They are reddish brown with white blotches and spots on the side of the body. They have large black spots on the fins (see bottom image).
Diana's Hogfish grows to 25cm in length.
This species occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific.
In Australia it is known from the coast and offshore islands of north-western Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to southern New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Current research indicates that the name Bodianus diana has been used in Australia for more than one species. East coast "B.diana" are probably an undescribed species.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433. (as Bodianus sp)
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
- Westneat, M.W. 2001. Labridae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 6. Bony Fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes and marine mammals. FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-v, 3381-4218.
