The Mexican hogfish is a type of wrasse found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from throughout the Gulf of California, down to Chile, including the Galapagos Islands. We saw these Mexican hogfish off Port Egas on Santiago Island.
They start out as female and eventually turn into males. They are initially reddish, then turn yellowish on the back of the body and caudal fin.
They have a pair of black stripes on the upper side. In their last phase, as males, they have a hump on the top of the head, a pointed snout, are bluish green with a brown head, a white lower jaw, and a yellowish bar on the middle of the side.
They are found in rocky or coral areas, are mostly solitary or in very small groups, and eat crabs, brittle stars, mollusks, and sea urchins.
True evolution would be to start as males and end up as females.
ReplyDeleteDid you see these snorkeling?
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