Hogfish Fishing Guide

Hogfish is a large, distinctive wrasse of the tropical Western Atlantic and Florida Keys, instantly recognizable by its elongated, pig-like snout — an adaptation for rooting through rubble and sand for crustaceans — and the vivid coloration of breeding males, which display brilliant orange, red, and purple patterning. Females and juveniles are muted pink and white. Large dominant males develop greatly elongated first dorsal fin rays and pronounced snout elongation. Hogfish are predominantly a spearfishing target because they are extremely wary of divers and nearly uncatchable on conventional hook-and-line tackle — their anatomy and feeding style makes biting a baited hook rare. They are widely considered the single finest-eating fish in the Florida Keys, with exceptionally sweet, firm, white flesh from their crustacean diet that has no equal among Florida reef fish.

Hogfish is a saltwater species.

Habitat

Hogfish are found on shallow to mid-depth coral and rocky reefs, hard bottom, and grass beds throughout the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean, generally from 10 to 100 feet. They are most common on hard, rubble-strewn bottom adjacent to reefs where crustaceans are abundant. They rarely leave the reef environment and are strongly site-fidelitous, making them predictable targets for divers who know specific reefs.

Diet

Hogfish feed almost exclusively on mollusks and crustaceans — clams, mussels, urchins, and crabs — which they root from sand and rubble with their elongated snout and crush with powerful pharyngeal teeth. This crustacean diet gives their flesh its distinctive sweet flavor. Because they probe for buried prey rather than striking free-swimming bait, they are very difficult to catch on hook and line, making spearing the primary harvest method.

Fishing Techniques

Best Seasons

Winter, Spring, Fall

Size & Records

Average weight: 5 lbs. World record: 21.68 lbs (Islamorada, Florida, USA (1962)).