Labridae (Wrasses)
Lachnolaimus maximus
0 to 100+ ft
The body color varies from white to reddish brown, but there is generally a dusky to dark brown area over the snout forehead. The first 3 dorsal fin spines are elongated. The mouth is protrusible. Large adults have a pronounced snout, a black area along the base of the dorsal fin, and a thick black bar across the middle of the tail fin. Intermediate adults have a black blotch close to the end of the dorsal fin. The hogfish grows to a length of 3 feet (1 m). The hogfish is common in the Caribbean, but has an extensive range covering Nova Scotia, Bermuda, and north Gulf of Mexico to northern South America. It inhabits open areas where it roots in the sand for crabs, mollusks, sea urchins and other invertebrates. When it is digging for food it will usually exhibit a reddish brown mottled pattern.
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