Harlequin Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides

Adult creamy-colored with numerous dark spots.
Juvenile: bright reddish brown with a few large white, dark-edged patches. Conspicuous by their extremely restless and lurching mode of swimming. Older juveniles are grey-brown with large white patches and are already developing the dark dot of the adults.

Size : 70 cm

Habitat : Inhabits coral-rich lagoons and out reefs, 1-35 m. Usually alone, during the day frequently at protected locations, can be seen front of coral blocks or below overhangs. Juvenile always swim close to a seabed with plenty of hiding places.

Distribution : The Maldives to SW Japan, Fiji and New Caledonia.

Classification

KINGDOM

:

Animalia

PHYLUM

:

Chordata

CLASS

:

Actinopterygii

ORDER

:

Perciformes

FAMILY

:

Haemulidae

GENUS

:

Plectorhinchus

SPECIES

:

Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides

Other Information

Population Status

Not Evaluated (NE)

PHOTO COLLECTION

Reference

  1. inaturalist.org
  2. Reef Fishes of the Indo-Pacific. Book by Matthias Bergbauer and Manuela Kirschner