Fish
Saddleback Wrasse
Bodianus bilunulatus
A red-backed reef hogfish marked by a bold black saddle at the tail base and a pale, purple-edged band across the cheek.
Also known as saalrug- varkvis
- Habitat
- Rocky and coral reefs
The saddleback hogfish is red over the back with pale scale centres, shading to white below, and carries a large oblong black blotch below the rear of the dorsal fin that runs onto the tail base, the saddle of its name. A broad whitish band crosses the cheek, edged above and below in purplish-red, with a further black spot on the second dorsal membrane.
Juveniles look quite different, wearing a broad blackish bar around the rear of the body that extends onto the fins. Like other hogfishes it lives on reefs, working the bottom for hard-shelled invertebrates.