mexican hogfish
Bodianus diplotaenia · Labridae · predator
Reef wrasse of the eastern Pacific, ranging from the Gulf of California to Chile. It has strong canine teeth and its flesh is sold fresh.
Also called: bodião-mexicano, vieja mexicana, vieja de piedra, mexican hogfish
- maximum
- 76 cm
- record/max.
- 9.0 kg
- depth
- 5–18 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the mexican hogfish
who is the mexican hogfish
The Mexican hogfish is of the family Labridae, the wrasses. It reaches 76 cm, and its common size is 45 cm. It weighs up to 9 kg. It lives in the eastern Pacific, from Guadalupe Island and the Gulf of California to Chile, including the Galápagos and the Cocos, Malpelo and Revillagigedo islands. It lives on reefs and areas of rock and coral, sometimes on sand bottoms and among algae, generally from 5 to 18 m. It eats crabs, brittle stars, mollusks and sea urchins. It lives alone or in small groups and at night gathers in crevices and caves to sleep. It is also used in 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 mexican hogfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Males defend temporary breeding territories.
identification
Moderately tall, compressed body with a large, pointed head. Teeth are canine and enlarged, two pairs at the front of each jaw. Very large adults are blue, with a narrow yellow bar right behind the base of the pectoral fin. Juveniles are red or reddish brown, and females have two longitudinal black stripes. It can be confused with Bodianus pulcher, but pulcher is limited to California, Baja California and the Gulf, while this species extends to Chile.
where found
Found in the eastern Pacific, from Guadalupe Island and the Gulf of California to Chile, including the Galápagos.
Habitat: Reefs, rock and coral areas, generally from 5 to 18 m.
when to fish
best time of day
Daytime. At night it gathers in rock crevices and caves to sleep, so it is active during the day.
rules for the mexican 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.
Has large, strong canine teeth. Handle with a cloth or glove so as not to get hurt, and release it carefully.
in the kitchen
The flesh is sold fresh in markets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01047, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). 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 diplotaenia (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 diplotaeniaNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: