Sexy Fish – Hog Snapper

Our Sexy Fish this week is the Hog Snapper.   There are approximately 100 species of Snapper and over 60 of them have “Snapper” in the name.  They inhabit coral reefs and rocky areas of tropical and subtropical regions of all our oceans.  The average catch runs 1-4 pounds, but the World Record is 19 pounds and 8 ounces.  The fish can grow to about 3 feet in length.  Most snapper feed on crustaceans or other fish, although a few are plankton-feeders.  In addition to Hog Snapper, we see Yellowtail snapper and Red snapper our local fishing waters.

The Hog Snapper is a brightly colored fish that gets its name because its mouth resembles that of a pig.  It has a deep body, a long tapering mouth with protruding teeth.  Usually the main color is a soft red, but does vary.  The large fishes, have a diagonal purple band running from their dorsal fin to their snout, and the first 3 rays of the dorsal fin are elongated into streamers.  The tail and anal fins also sport modest streamers. The fish has a very fine white flesh and is considered the prize catch of all reef species by some fishermen.

Hogfish are plentiful in the Florida Keys, Bahamas, Caribbean, and they have been as far north as North Carolina and Bermuda, and into the Gulf of Mexico. The meat is considered to be high quality with a soft, white, firm consistency. The meat is considered one of the finest eating due to its shellfish diet. It is a popular target for spear-fishermen, and rarely caught by conventional rod and reel methods. It has fourteen dorsal spines, eleven dorsal soft rays, eleven anal spines, and ten anal soft rays. The fish’s diet is mainly mollusks, crabs and sea urchins.  The Hogfish is first a female then a male. The color pattern changes drastically between juvenile and adult.