Cuban Hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus): Breeding Notes

Bodianus pulchellus is a western Atlantic hogfish with cleaner-fish juveniles. As a large protogynous, pelagic-spawning wrasse it is not bred in home aquaria.

Overview

Bodianus pulchellus, the Cuban or spotfin hogfish, reaches about 28.5 cm, though most stay under 18 cm. Wikipedia places it in the Atlantic from North Carolina to Brazil and the Caribbean, on rock and coral reefs at depths of 15 to 120 metres but rarely deeper than 24 metres. Juveniles are bright yellow with a black dorsal marking; adults turn deep red in front with a yellow rear.

Sexing

Hogfishes are protogynous hermaphrodites, beginning life as females and changing into terminal males as they grow and gain social dominance. The largest, most dominant individual in a group is usually the male; there is no reliable external colour cue for sex.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

As with other Bodianus, spawning involves a pair rising off the reef to release eggs and milt into the water column. This open-water broadcast behaviour has not been documented in captivity for the Cuban hogfish and requires more space than home tanks allow.

Egg & Fry Care

Eggs are pelagic and drift in the plankton, where the larvae develop before settling onto the reef. No documented captive-rearing method exists, so trade animals are wild-caught.

Common Challenges

Large adult size, a semi-aggressive temperament that targets small invertebrates, protogynous sex change and pelagic spawning combine to make home reproduction impractical. The dispersing larvae cannot be reared with standard equipment.