Cuban Hogfish - Brazil

Bodianus pulchellus

Hogfish are known for being very hardy and for growing large so a large enough aquarium is necessary. They will eat just about anything they can fit into their mouths, so use caution when picking tank mates or adding to a reef aquarium. The Cuban Hogfish's bright colors will stand out in your aquarium. In the wild they are known for picking parasites off of other fish, but this has not been widely observed in captivity. This hardy Hog is docile and typically peaceful to all fish. Beware they may make a meal out of your clean-up crew and really small fish. This fish will grow pretty large at 8”, so be sure to provide a large enough aquarium of 125 gallons when fully grown. They can be considered reef safe with caution since they won't bother corals, but they will most likely go after mobile inverts. Provide a meaty diet of Frozen Foods and high quality pellets. Luckily, they are known to eat those pesky bristle worms and small mantis shrimp. The docile fish will become a lot more assertive when food is present. The Cuban Hogfish is found in the Western Atlantic inhabiting coral and rocky reefs up to 24 meters deep.