The Common Hogfish, also known scientifically as Lachnolaimus maximus, earned its name “hogfish,” from its tendency to root around in sand in order to find food. The Common Hogfish, when compared to other species of wrasse, is uncharacteristically flat and oval shaped with red irises that change color over the course of its life. The Common Hogfish lives in groups of females led by an alpha male. Hogfish start their lives as females and once they have grown to a certain size, they change to males. The Common Hogfish can usually be found in open bottoms or coral reefs from Bermuda and North Carolina through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

The  Common Hogfish is also called pez perro, boquinete, or doncella de pluma. This fish is carnivorous, sequential hermaphrodite, and long-lived. Males and females are easy to differentiate. Females and juveniles are usually pale gray, reddish-brown, or brown but paler on the underside with no distinctive marks. Males have deep dark bands from the snout to the first dorsal spine. You may also see a prominent black spot behind the pectoral fin. All hogfish have their dorsal fin made of three to four long dorsal spines and a series of shorter dorsal spines.