Not too long ago we were split between two very rare and beautiful hogfishes, Bodianus masudai, and B. paraleucosticticus. Well the labrid indulgence does not end there, as this amazing juvenile Bodianus izuensis made a surprise appearance in Singapore. Measuring in at slightly over an inch, this is one of the smallest specimen of the izuensis hogfish that we’ve ever seen.
The Izuensis Hogfish is an uncommon import from the Western-Pacific that dwells in relatively deeper waters. Specimens typically appear as adults in the trade, which sport a yellow and reddish colouration with a sketchy horizontal black stripe. Juvenile Izu hogfish like this one here are very hard to come by.
As with most other hogfishes, feeding and acclimation is hardly any problem. The little Izu hogfish has settled in nicely at Marinelife Hobbielist, and it has already been sold upon arrival. Henry Koh, the shop owner, has a neck for obtaining rare Bodianus species, as seen with the Masudai hogfish that also appeared at this shop in the previous import. Another uncommon fish that shared the same shipment with the izuensis hogfish is the Terelabrus rubrovittatus. A video of B. izuensis and T. rubrovittatus is shown below.
