spanish hogfish
Bodianus rufus
Reef fish with a blue or red head and a yellow body, which changes sex during its life. It is considered a sport fish and has minor commercial use.
Also called: bigodeiro, bodião, papagaio, vieja española, spanish hogfish
- maximum
- 40 cm
- record/max.
- 1.0 kg
- depth
- 3–70 m
who is the spanish hogfish
Wrasse of the family Labridae, reaching 40 cm and weighing up to 1 kg. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from Bermuda and southern Florida to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. It lives on rocky or coral reefs, usually from 3 to 70 m deep. It is protogynous hermaphroditic: it is born female and can become male. The male forms permanent harems with several smaller females. It feeds on brittle stars, crustaceans, mollusks and sea urchins. In fishing, it is considered a sport fish and has minor commercial use.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the spanish hogfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Juveniles remove parasites from larger fish.
identification
The head, the front of the back and the front of the dorsal fin are blue when the fish comes from shallow water, and red when it comes from deeper bottoms. The rest of the body and the tail are yellow. The dorsal, anal and pelvic fins are generally blue or reddish-yellow toward the rear. To tell it apart from other wrasses, look for the blue or red head over the yellow body, remembering that the color changes with depth.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Western Atlantic, from Bermuda and southern Florida to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. In Brazil it ranges from the Northeast to the South, with the reefs of Maranhão and the islands of Fernando de Noronha and Trindade.
Habitat: Rocky or coral reefs, 3 to 70 m deep.
coast
rules for the spanish hogfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
No dangerous spines or venom. There are reports of ciguatera in this species, so avoid eating specimens of doubtful origin.
in the kitchen
It is sold fresh. There are reports of ciguatera, so avoid eating specimens of doubtful origin.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01023, b = 3.1; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Bodianus rufus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Bodianus rufusNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
