Saddleback Pigfish, Bodianus bilunulatus (Lacépède 1801)

Other Names: Red-streaked Pigfish, Saddle-back Pigfish, Saddleback Wrasse, Tarry Hogfish

A Saddleback Pigfish, Bodianus bilunulatus, in the Murion Islands, Western Australia, April 2009. Source: eschlogl / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:

A large pinkish-red hogfish with a spot on the scales forming fine stripes along the upper head and back, a large black saddle the rear of the dorsal fin often with white blotches just below (saddle indistinct in large males). Juveniles are bright yellow on the upper head and back, reddish below, a broad black bar on the rear 2/3 of the body, and a white caudal peduncle.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2022, Bodianus bilunulatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 13 Jan 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/211

Saddleback Pigfish, Bodianus bilunulatus (Lacépède 1801)

More Info

Distribution	Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia, to the Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory, and ENE of Cape Moreton, Queensland to the Solitary Islands, New South Wales; also at Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the tropical Indo-west-central Pacific. Inhabits coral and rocky reefs, often on deep outer reef slopes rich with corals, sponges and seawhips.
Feeding	Feeds mainly on hard-shelled benthic invertebrates including molluscs and crustaceans.
Biology	A protogynous hermaphrodite, changing sex from female to male during the life cycle.
Etymology	The specific name bilunulatus is from the Latin bis (= twice) and lunula (luna + ulus) (= 'somewhat like the moon'), apparently in reference to the lunate caudal fin (double emarginate with filamentous lobes) of the type specimen.
Species Citation	Labrus bilunulatus Lacépède, 1801, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons: 454, 526, pl. 31(2). Type locality: Indo-Pacific (as Great Equatorial Ocean).
Author	Bray, D.J. 2022
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Saddleback Pigfish, Bodianus bilunulatus (Lacépède 1801)

References

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Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

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Gomon, M.F. 2006. A revision of the labrid fish genus Bodianus with descriptions of eight new species. Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 30: 1-133

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Hobbs, J.-P.A., Ayling, A.M., Choat, J.H., Gilligan, J.J., McDonald, C.A., Neilson, J. & Newman, S.J. 2010. New records of marine fishes illustrate the biogeographic importance of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 2422: 63–68

Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Sydney, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers xvii, 434 pp.

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Lacepède, B.G. 1801. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : chez Plassan Vol. 3 558 pp. 34 pls. See ref at BHL

Randall, J.E. 1986. Family No. 220: Labridae. pp. 683-706 in Smith, M.M. & Heemstra, P.C. (eds). Smith's Sea Fishes. Johannesburg : Macmillan South Africa xx + 1047 pp. 144 pls.

Russell, B. 2010. Bodianus bilunulatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T187554A8566714. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187554A8566714.en. Downloaded on 27 November 2019.

Westneat, M.W. 2001. Labridae. pp. 3381-3467 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218.