General Information

COMMON NAMES: Axilspot Hogfish, Black-spot Hogfish, Black-spot Pigfish, Coral Hogfish, Turncoat Hogfish; German Achselfleck-Schweinslippfisch; French Labre à Tache Axillaire, Labre à Tache Pectorale GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Pitcairn; n to s.Japan; s. to New Caledonia - Rapa COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; In clear lagoons and outer reef-slopes 5m to 40m. PLUS: ; Marine, near-shore, outer reef-slope below 10m SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Not eaten. KEY FEATURES: To 15cm, shape 3 depth in length. Appearance changes dramatically with age. JUVENILE brown to black with a white snout and four pairs of large white spots on the body. ADULTS red anterior, white posterior with yellow tail; black spot at base of pertoral fins, and one each on hind-section of Dorsal and Anal fins.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			P

Bodianus axillaris (Bennett, 1832)
SYNONYMS: Labrus axillaris [O]; Lepidaplois axillaris

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Labroidei; LABRIDAE, Hypsigenyini

GENERAL NOTE: Juveniles hide in caves and overhangs acting as cleaners of other fishes.

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Bodianus axillaris.

References:
text p.176 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 88c Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.298 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.426 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 90-04 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 70-05 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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