Fun Lyretail Hogfish Facts For Kids
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If you like your fish with a splash of color, you will definitely fall in love with the lyretail hogfish! This fish can be prominently recognized in any tank or ocean, thanks to their very distinctive coloring!
They come note in two, but in three very different colors! They are called the hogfish or the pigfish because of their very distinctive mouths, which are similar to that of hogs or pigs, which is how they earned their name.
They may be seen in search of many a last depth of the oceans or waters they live in, in order to look for food. One can see that they have a relatively small size compared to other fish, but it is also seen that their quantity in the oceans is rapidly dropping.
This may be because of new deep-sea trawling technologies in order to supply the world's fish market, which results in a sharp decline in their numbers.
However, you can read on, and get to know about these fish, totally in-depth! If you like what you see, why not swim ahead to some other finned friends like channel catfish and the rainbow trout?
Lyretail Hogfish Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a lyretail hogfish?
Lyretail hogfish (Bodianus anthioides) is a type of fish.
What class of animal does a lyretail hogfish belong to?
These marine hogfish of the family Labridae belong to the class of fish.
How many lyretail hogfish are there in the world?
As these lyretail hogfish (Bodianus anthioides) are mainly aquarium fish, so the population of this species is unknown in the world.
Where does a lyretail hogfish live?
This marine fish species of the genus Bodianus lives in the ocean. African lyretail hogfish species are found in the area of Africa, Sri Lanka, and Fiji.
What is a lyretail hogfish's habitat?
This fish can be found at an in-depth range between 20-197 ft (6-60 m) on coral faces, drop-offs, fore-reef slopes, as well as the backside between barrier reefs. It prefers an area with a lot of coral growth.
Adults can be found in shallow, sand places, mostly on back reefs throughout the Red Sea, whereas, small juveniles can be found in deeper water in constant search of prey. Their tank mate species blue tang fish are also seen roaming in coral reefs.
Who do lyretail hogfish live with?
Lyretail hogfish (Bodianus anthioides) are solitary fish that establish spawning pairs. It's most likely a harem species. This species of hogfish is one of the least aggressive hogfish among other fishes.
How long does a lyretail hogfish live?
The lifespan of these Indo-Pacific marine reef fish is not known.
How do they reproduce?
On the top of a big coral head, a male fish courts two females at dusk. With its fins erect, the male swims around the female unless one of the females joins him.
This couple, thereafter, swims into the water column beside each other, move to the surface, and deliver their sperm and eggs. The eggs mature in a day, young larvae float around for a few weeks. Juveniles eventually dive towards the seafloor and stuff crustaceans in their increasingly bizarre jaws.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of these semi-aggressive, bold-colored fish of genus Bodianus is Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List.
Lyretail Hogfish Fun Facts
What do lyretail hogfish look like?
This lyretail hogfish (Bodianus anthioides) is a carnivorous fish that belongs to the Labridae family and has an entirely different appearance as a juvenile than it does as an adult. The length of adults is about 8 in (20 cm) in wild, while usually, they are 6-7 in (15-18 cm) long.
Its general outline and sharply scalloped tail make it easy to identify. There are black and white spots upon the rest of the body.
Males grow to be larger than females. This fish has a striking color pattern that is orangish-brown mostly on the head and the anterior part of the body; it is a unique species in terms of appearance.
However, the same can not be said for its survival mechanisms. It has not been seen or studied to do anything out of the ordinary to protect itself from predators.
How cute are they?
This is a tough fish with a distinctive color. It has a brightly magnificent colored body featuring half-orange, half-white splashes with maroon-red dots across the body including a long, impressive tail makes it one of the cutest fish.
How do they communicate?
The communication method of this species, which is found at the depth of 20-197 ft (6-60 m), can't be stated due to a lack of data.
How big is a lyretail hogfish?
The average length of Indo-Pacific fish is about 8 in (20.32 cm). While a clownfish measures up to 4 in (10 cm) in length. When comparing the length of a lyretail hogfish with clownfish, the hogfish is much larger than the clownfish. Both the lyretail hogfish as well as the clownfish are reef-dweller fishes.
How fast can a lyretail hogfish swim?
Although these Indo-Pacific marine reef fish are speedy swimmers, their swimming speed is unspecified.
How much does a lyretail hogfish weigh?
The accurate weight of these corals tank fish is unknown.
What are their male and female names of the species?
The male and female species of hogfish don't have any specific name.
What would you call a baby lyretail hogfish?
There is not any special name for the baby of this species.
What do they eat?
Worms, snails, small fish, and mussels, are meaty foods that are eaten by these fish as part of their diet. Mollusks, echinoderms, and small crustaceans are also part of the lyretail hogfish diet, and they normally feed alone.
Fish that are large in size use water jets from their mouths in search of hidden prey – like snails, worms, as well as other small crustaceans – mostly on the sand surfaces during eating.
This is called hydraulic jetting. Adult fish join with goatfish to ingest food items flushed out or exposed by fishs' chin barbels and juveniles mostly feed on little organisms as their diet.
Are they dangerous?
These semi-aggressive small fish species are not dangerous, neither are they endangered.
Would they make a good pet?
One of the greatest hogfish to maintain (care level: medium) in a personal aquarium is indeed the lyretail hogfish. It is a strong swimmer and should be kept in a tank with lots of swimming area.
For an adult, a tank with a capacity of 75-100 gal (284-379 l) is recommended.
It requires a well-designed tank with plenty of hiding places – such as crevices and caves – in order to engage in its normal browsing habit in captivity. Frozen formulations, pellets, scallops, mussels, and shrimp, are some of the meaty foods you can feed your pet fish as a diet.
Tangs, damsels, angelfish, with some calm triggerfish, can be kept with this fish in the aquarium with medium care level. It is known to topple corals in its search for food, hence, should be approached with caution.
It is one of the less aggressive species, although it does best in a tank with other fish that are moderately aggressive, such as tangs like yellow tang fish and angelfish.
Did you know...
These semi-aggressive hogfish also referred to as the lyretail pigfish, and they are a species of hogfish with a long tail. It gets its name from its lovely long tail. Hogfish also get their name from the technique they use to rummage about in the sand, hunting for mollusks and crustaceans with their pointy snout.
The very first three years of a hogfish's existence are spent as a female. They can transform into males afterward when they're about 14 in (35 cm) in length.
Why is the lyretail hogfish also known as lyretail pigfish?
The mouths of hogfish are quite bizarre. Its mouth appears big, elongated and it opens wide. It is also protrudable, allowing it to be expanded to even greater lengths. The ladies have a delicate muzzle, whilst males get a pig-like muzzle, which is why it is also known as lyretail pigfish.
What is unique about the lyretail hogfish?
They are a member of the family Labridae that has a distinct juvenile appearance. The face of this fish is red-orange, and the back is white with red highlights.
It is possible to be fascinated by this fish as when they are juveniles, these fish act as cleaning fish by picking up dead scales and parasites from other fish. Juvenile uses the pelvic fins to contact the bodies of their 'clients' during the process of cleaning.
But as it matures, this tendency ceases. This distinctive and special behavior of this species is shared by french angelfish.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these rainbow cichlid facts and green sunfish facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Hogfish coloring pages.
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