have implemented management measures for fishermen seeking to catch hogfish, and there is a rebuilding plan in place to bring the overfished stock back to healthy levels. © Phillip Hamilton/Coral Reef Image BankAs marvelously charismatic as these fish are, they’re also overfished in part of their range, which extends from up to around North Carolina and Bermuda down to the northern tip of South America, as well as in and around the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

They’re also known to hang out in little polygamous groups, with a single male spending time with (and pursuing, if you will) multiple females. Yes, you read that correctly! Here’s the deal: hogfish are what’s known as protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that they have the ability to switch from female to male once they grow to be large enough. With fiery-red irises, the eyes of these fish are truly a spectacle to observe. While they typically range in color from a reddish brown to a pale grey or yellow, there’s one trait about them that’s undoubtedly jaw-dropping: their eyes. Their appearance, however, is often variable depending on their age, sex and primary location.

© Sander van der Wel / Wikimedia Commons.Īs you can see, hogfish are show-stoppers in the looks department, boasting quite vivacious coloration. To put that into perspective, that’s about the size of a dachshund, although there are some reports of hogfish that have been even bigger than that. These oval-shaped fish can vary in size, but are typically quite hefty, with larger individuals weighing up to around 22 pounds. In a behavior known as rooting, they use their snouts to burrow into the sand and rummage around for these crunchy critters to munch on. Hogfish absolutely love to snack on mollusks and crustaceans, and one of the best places to find them is buried in the sand at the seafloor. This lengthy nose has a specific purpose: they’re specifically designed to help them forage for food. Much like their nickname counterparts on land, hogfish have elongated snouts that earned them their namesake. This species of fish live in packs of one dominant male and several females, so when you’ve found an area with one of them, there are most likely going to be more hogfish nearby.Thanks for signing up for Ocean Conservancy emails. When spearfishing, make sure to cover the entire distance of the area that you’re diving, as these fish are not very afraid of divers and always seem to be feeding on the bottom in areas where there’s some good hard rocky bottom. These fish are only found at the bottom of the seafloor, you will not find them swimming in the middle of the water column like you would other species of fish. Hogfish are reef fish, therefore you will often find them when spearfishing on reefs, ledges, and rock piles within 10-150 feet of water. You’re only allowed 1 per harvester per day in Atlantic State Waters and the season is only open from May 1st through October 31st. In the Atlantic State Waters, they must be 16 inches long to the fork of their tail in order to be allowed to keep them. You’re allowed 5 per day, per harvester in the Gulf State Waters and the season is open year-round.

For example, in the Gulf State Waters, hogfish must be 14 inches long to the fork of their tail in order to be allowed to keep them. The regulations for keeping hogfish differ between certain bodies of water. Female hogfish’s snout will blend into the color of their body, while male hogfish’s snout is an entirely different color than their body. You can often tell the difference between a male and female hogfish by the color of their snout. The males are a bright orange color with a very distinct red/maroon snout. The females have more of a camouflaged pattern, with dark orange and brown coloring that blend into their surroundings very well. All hogfish start out as females and then as they grow to be a certain size and age, some of them change into a male. With a hog-like pointed snout, these fish root around the seafloor searching for crustaceans and mollusks to feed on. The color of this species depends on whether they are male or female, and will differ throughout their lifespan. This species of wrasse are flat and oval-shaped, with beady red eyes. Hogfish are one of the easiest species to identify, due to how unique their appearance is. They are the only species of fish that look this way and are very easy to spot underwater. Hogfish get their name from their abnormal appearance, which looks very similar to a hog (pig) and a fish. They are not only popular for their extremely abnormal appearance, but these fish are targeted for the delicious white meat that arguably makes them the best table-fare in the ocean. This species of fish are native to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Caribbean and the Gulf Of Mexico. The Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus) is one of the most sought-after species of reef fish for spearfishing across the globe.

Hogfish snapper