ANIMAL SPECIES:Pigfish, Bodianus unimaculatus (Gunther, 1862)
Young Pigfish are pinkish with thin stripes on the sides of the body and red lines on the head. As a fish ages the lines become less evident. Males are red above with a pinkish to white region on the side below the dorsal fin rays. There is a black blotch on the dorsal fin spines.
Identification
Young Pigfish are pinkish with thin stripes on the sides of the body and red lines on the head.
As a fish ages the lines become less evident. Males are red above with a pinkish to white region on the side below the dorsal fin rays. There is a black blotch on the dorsal fin spines.
Size range
The species grows to 45 cm in length.Distribution
The Pigfish occurs from southern Queensland to Victoria and also from New Zealand.
Habitat
This fish usually occurs on offshore reefs greater than 50 m in depth. It is mostly seen when caught on hook and line, but is sometime observed by divers at around 30 m.
Classification
- Species:
- unimaculatus
- Genus:
- Bodianus
- Family:
- Labridae
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
References
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
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