Western Foxfish

Interesting Info

• The Western Foxfish occurs from south-western Western Australia to eastern South Australia, and separately from southern Queensland south through New South Wales.
• The body is orange-red with bold white patches high on the back and sides, and a black spot on the upper caudal peduncle, which helps distinguish it from the eastern Yellowfin Pigfish.
• The fins are often edged with blue or purple, giving adults a vivid, decorated appearance under water.
• Juveniles are dark brown to black with three broad white bars, a colour pattern that mimics other small reef fishes and helps them hide among rubble and kelp.
• This pigfish is diurnal, foraging during the day and seeking shelter in caves or under ledges at night.
• Like many wrasses, it is a protogynous hermaphrodite: individuals start life as females before some change into males as they grow larger and more dominant.
• It feeds mainly on hard-shelled invertebrates such as molluscs, crabs, and sea urchins, using its strong jaws and tusk-like teeth to crush prey.
• Spawning likely occurs in pairs or small groups, with fertilised eggs released into the water column to drift with currents until hatching.
• The Western Foxfish is estimated to live at least 10–15 years in the wild, similar to other large temperate wrasses.
• It plays an important ecological role in controlling sea urchin and crustacean populations on southern reefs.
• Alternate names include Foxfish, Red Pigfish, and French’s Hogfish, the latter honouring French naturalist Louis de Freycinet.