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.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Bodianus unimaculatus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Pigfish specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

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

What does this mean?

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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