Appearance
The foxfish is brown, red, or orange with two spots on the back. When foxfish are juveniles, they are brown and have three yellow patches with a black area around the pectoral fin.
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Species IUCN · Near Threatened (NT)
Western Foxfish
Bodianus frenchii, (Klunzinger, 1879)
marine
About Western Foxfish
The foxfish, Bodianus frenchii, is a species of wrasse native to the temperate marine waters in southwestern Western Australia to eastern South Australia, and from southern Queensland to eastern Tasmania, at depths between 10 and 40 m. A gap in the distribution of foxfish occurs through Victoria. Its length is up to 45 cm.
Habitat
Foxfish are typically found living under ledges and in caves. It is a long lived species which has been found living for up to 78 years, making it the longest lived wrasse species alongside the western blue groper.
Foxfish are protogynous hermaphrodites, and they spawn several times during the late spring and the summer. They form distinct pairs when breeding.
Humans & conservation
The foxfish is caught as bycatch in trawl fisheries off the coasts of New South Wales and Western Australia. In Western Australia it is a quarry for recreational anglers and the state applies bag limits. It is also taken for the aquarium trade and is prized in the United States.
Part of
Where to see it
No dive sites list Western Foxfish yet. Explore the map to find sites near you.