Candy Hogfish

About

The candy hogfish (Bodianus bimaculatus) is a slender, compact wrasse relative that stays small enough to fit comfortably in a modest reef system. It goes by several names in the hobby, two-spot hogfish and yellow hogfish among them, reflecting its variable common nomenclature, though the bright yellow body and the pair of dark spots that mark adults make identification pretty straightforward once you know what you're looking for. In the wild, this species ranges across a broad sweep of the Indo-Pacific, from Madagascar east to New Caledonia and from Japan down toward New Zealand, where it gravitates toward steep outer reef slopes, rubble zones, and drop-offs that border deep water. It's a social fish by nature, typically found in loose aggregations organized around a dominant male presiding over a group of females and juveniles. A classic haremic structure common to many wrasses. In the aquarium it generally behaves itself reasonably well, though its intermediate care rating suggests you'll want some reef-keeping experience before committing to one. As an omnivore it's not especially fussy at the dinner table. With a lifespan stretching up to eight years under good conditions, it's a worthwhile long-term resident for a well-maintained system.