Mexican Hogfish

Family: Wrasses (Labridae)
Size: Up to 76 cm (30 in) | Common: 40 cm (16 in)
Depth: 5 – 75m (15 – 250ft)

Distribution: Eastern Pacific (Gulf of California to Peru, including Galapagos and the Chocó coast).

Identification: A true shape-shifter of the Pacific reef, displaying wildly different colors at each stage of life.

• Female Phase (Pictured): The initial phase features a pale, yellowish body covered in distinct reddish-brown cross-hatching. Look for the bright yellow tail and two prominent dark, broken horizontal stripes along the sides.
• Male Phase: As they transition to Terminal Males, they grow massive. They develop a pronounced "bump" on the forehead, long trailing filaments on the fins, and turn a deep reddish-brown with a yellow vertical bar.
• Juvenile Phase: Small, slender, and bright yellow with two solid black horizontal stripes.

Behavior: Active and dynamic reef foragers.

• Daytime Hunters: Often seen solitary, constantly swimming over rocky reefs to flip over small stones and forage for crustaceans, crabs, and urchins.
• Cleaning Duties: The tiny yellow juveniles frequently set up cleaning stations, bravely picking parasites off much larger reef predators.