Eclipse Hogfish (Bodianus mesothorax)

This fish likes to make its home near coral-rich outer reef slopes at depths of between 15 to 50 feet, particularly near caves. Juveniles will usually spend most of their time within the cave while adults will travel from the cave along the substrate, often cleaning larger fish. These fish can be found in the Western Indo-Pacific: including Christmas Island, Indonesia, The Philippines, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

This fish will reach a size of 10 inches and can live for 8 years. As juveniles, this fish looks much different than the adult, seen above. Juveniles are brown with yellow spots which are thought to help the small fish camouflage itself, giving the juvenile a better chance of reaching adulthood.