Quality Marine Receives Five Stripe Hogfish (Bodianus paraleucosticticus n. sp.)

Some marine aquarium fish are rarely seen in the hobby and trade for a variety of reasons, but when something new and different appears, it generates significant excitement among true marine fish enthusiasts. Such is the case with the Five Stripe Hogfish. Hobbyists and enthusiasts may wonder what “n. sp.” means after the scientific name of this fish- it simply indicates a new species that was not previously described down to the species level.

The Five Stripe Hogfish has a natural range through the Southwest Pacific, from Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, at depths ranging from 164 feet (50 meters) to 377 feet (115 meters). Previously confused with its sister species from the Indo-West Pacific, the Lined Hogfish (Bodianus leucosticticus), the Five Stripe Hogfish features a larger, prominent black spot on the front portion of its dorsal fin and pectoral fin base, and red to yellow horizontal stripes down the side of the fish, as opposed to the red stripes found on the Indo-West Pacific (B. leucosticticus).

The initial description of the Five Stripe Hogfish by Marin F. Gomon was documented by John (Jack) E. Randall in Reef and Shore Fishes of the South Pacific – New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands published in 2005. The fish was formally described in 2006 by Gomon in A Revision of the Labrid Fish Genus Bodianus. The formal description was based on the holotype specimen harvested in Rarotonga by Richard L. Pyle in January 1991, and paratype specimen harvested in Papua New Guinea.

The species name “paraleucosticticus” is derived from the Greek word’s para, meaning “near,” leukos, meaning “white,” and stiktos, meaning “spotted.” This refers to the similarity between this species and B. leucosticticus, as well as the 3-4 white spots on the posterior portion of the body. The documented maximum length of this species is 3.96 inches (9.9 cm) standard length (SL), measured from the tip of the snout to the last vertebra, excluding the soft caudal (tail) fin.

From a husbandry perspective, like other medium-sized Hogfish, the Five Stripe Hogfish is a hardy fish once acclimated to the more intense lighting of most home reef aquariums and will not pick on or harm corals. They will quickly adapt to meaty, frozen diets such as enriched Mysis and enriched adult brine shrimp, along with a variety of other meaty foods and high-quality sinking pellets, like Nutramar Complete. Provide several hiding spots with caves and overhangs, along with ample swimming space for this active species, and ensure a tight lid or canopy, as these fish can often leap out of the aquarium. Due to their more pugnacious nature once fully settled in new surroundings, it is best to add them last to an established reef aquarium if maintaining other Wrasses, such as Fairy or Flasher Wrasses. Use caution when keeping small shrimps and crabs, as they may become a food source for a hungry Five Stripe Hogfish.