Twospot Hogfish (Bodianus bimaculatus)

Twospot Hogfish Bodianus bimaculatus
Name	Twospot Hogfish
Name Lat.	Bodianus bimaculatus
Family	Wrasses
Family lat.	Labridae
Order	Wrasses & Relatives
Order lat.	Labriformes
Origin	Indo-Pacific
Habitat	Seaward reefs
Diet	Carnivore
pH	8,1-8,4
Hardness	8-10 °KH
Behavior	♂ territorial
Keeping	Individual, pair
Reef Compatible	Yes
Care Level	Moderate
Life Span	5-8 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	10 cm
Temperature	22-27 °C
Salinity	33-36 ‰
Aquarium	~ 350 l
US Units
Size	4"
Temperature	72-81 °F
Salinity	1.020-1.025 sg
Aquarium	~ 90 gal

Distribution and habitat

The distribution area of Bodianus bimaculatus is the Indo-Pacific, from Madagascar over Indonesia to Japan and New Zealand. They live mostly on deep and steep reefs covered with sponges and soft corals and over sandy areas.

Maintenance

They are keen swimmers and require a well-structured aquarium with plenty of swimming space, a reef structure (hiding and retreat possibilities) with live stones, which act like a biological filter, as well as sand areas, made of fine sand at least 10 cm deep (no coral rubble!). Only lime-rich, heavy metal-free sands, gravels or stones may be used.

Filters, skimmers and heaters are necessary to ensure water quality, as well as pumps to simulate tides, swells and bottom currents. Lighting must be appropriate for the species' day-night rhythm

Salinity: 33-36 ‰	pH value: 8.1-8.4
Carbonate hardness: 8-10 °KH	Nitrate content: 2-8 mg/l
phosphate content: 0.01-0.1 mg/l	nitrite content: 0.0-0.05 mg/l

For salinity, an average value should be aimed for, which may only vary slightly by +/- 0.5 ‰. Ammonia and ammonium must not be measurable. Special attention must be paid to constantly good water quality.

Diet

They feed on small crustaceans and mollusks. The change of food is not always successful without problems. The diet for these slow eaters should consist of a combination of plankton, mysis, shrimp, artemia and cyclops, plus chopped clam, squid and crab meat or a commercial vitamin-enriched frozen food mix. High-quality flake and granulated food is also often accepted after a period of acclimation

It is recommended to feed small portions several times a day. This reduces intra-species aggression and protects lower animals in the aquarium. Regular and varied feeding promotes health and increases resistance.

Behaviour and compatibility

They usually live in a group consisting of females and juveniles, dominated by a large male. Males are very territorial within the species. Accordingly, only one male should be kept with one or more females. Towards other fish they behave peacefully.

Sex dimorphism

They are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that most males develop from functional females when needed, and are referred to as "secondary males". Males are predominantly pink colored with red lines.

Reproduction and breeding

There are no known reports of successful breeding in the aquarium

Important

Their color dress varies greatly depending on age

As reef dwellers they should be kept together with corals and not in a pure fish aquarium. With sufficient and varied feeding, which also reduces aggressiveness, they can be kept well with invertebrates (corals), only tubeworms, snails, crabs etc. should be kept with caution

When threatened, they sometimes bury themselves in the sandy substrate.

If different species are kept together, make sure that the fish match each other in terms of water quality and temperature requirements as well as their social behavior, and that the setup meets the needs of all species kept together. Newly introduced fish must be acclimated slowly to the water in the aquarium

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: Werner Winter; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: BAENSCH & DEBELIUS (2006): Meerwasser Atlas Bd. 1, Mergus Verlag; ENGELMANN (2005): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Fische, Verlag Harri Deutsch

• Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF