red hogfish
Decodon puellaris
Reddish wrasse of rocky bottoms around Caribbean islands, with protruding front teeth. It has commercial use and is sold for aquariums.
Also called: bodião-vermelho, doncella de lo alto, doncella de canto, red hogfish
- maximum
- 30 cm
- depth
- 18–275 m
who is the red hogfish
Wrasse of the family Labridae, reaching 30 cm. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from southern Florida, through the Antilles, to Suriname. It lives mainly on rocky bottoms of island areas, from 18 to 275 m deep. Its body is reddish, darker on top and paler on the belly. Adults have protruding front teeth in both the upper and lower jaws. In fishing, it has commercial use and is sold for aquariums.
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 red hogfish.
identification
Reddish body, darker on top and paler underneath, with yellow lips. It has yellow stripes that start at the nostrils, pass the eye to the edge of the gill cover, and another that crosses the cheek from the eye. The dorsal and anal fins have no scales. The front teeth are protruding, which helps identify adults.
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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 southern Florida, through the Antilles, to Suriname.
Habitat: Rocky bottoms of island areas, 18 to 275 m deep.
rules for the red 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.
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, and it is harmless to handle.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00955, b = 3.1; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Decodon puellaris (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Decodon puellarisNames by country and language.