Common Name: Pacific Diana’s Pigfish

Distribution: Common throughout the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Western Pacific, from the Indo-Malaysian Archipelago to Tonga, north to Japan, south to Australia. In Australia recorded from the Queensland coast to central New South Wales.

Ecological Notes: Prefers outer reefs rich in hard and soft corals. Juveniles aggregate close to roofs of caves or shelter close to gorgonians and black corals. Depth from 5 to 100 m but usually 9 to 30 m.

Additional Notes: Previously known as Bodianus diana, which is now known to be an Indian Ocean species. Best separated from that species by the presence of large black spots on the middle of the anal and pelvic fins. Large juvenile pictured above, adult below. Feed mainly on benthic invertebrates, juveniles known to regularly remove parasites from other fishes. Grows to 25 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.289.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://fishbase.ca/summary/Bodianus-dictynna.html. Accessed 28/04/18.