Hogfish

Family Labridae, WRASSES
Lachnolaimus maximus

Description: body deep, strongly compressed; color varies, but never bicolored; usually reddish, sometimes bright brick red; soft dorsal fin with a large dark spot at base; entire top of head nape purplish brown in large males; this patch of color continuous with blackish area that extends along entire base of dorsal fin; large blackish crescent through base of caudal fin; pelvic fin with dusky tip; 14 spines in dorsal fin - first 3 elongate, bladelike; rays at front of soft dorsal and anal fins and lower lobes of caudal fin elongate; mouth very protrusible.

Young: greenish or brownish, mottled with dark.

Size: to 91 cm (3ft.).

Remarks: esteemed as a food fish in some areas, but has been implicated in ciguatera; usually marketed as Hog Snapper.

*The Florida records quoted are from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are provided as only as a benchmark.