A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides
Also known as Spotted Sweetlips, Many-spotted Sweetlips, Harlequin Thicklip, Brownkelly Sweetlips, Brownie Sweetlips and Clown Sweetlips. As a juvenile, the harlequin sweetlips is brown or tan covered with white spots or blotches. As it grows older its body turns white, and the spots become white and more dense. Juvenile sweetlips mimic the movement of a poisonous flatworm as a defense against predators.
Found singly and occasionally with others in caves, along inner reef dropoffs, lagoons and seaward reefs. Found at depths of 1 to 30m. Widespread in the Indo-Pacific region.
Spotted this fish, which is a delight to watch as it wiggles about, at a depth of about 70 feet, during a day dive at the Bing's Corner dive site, Davao Gulf. It was about 10cm, if I'm not mistaken.
Thanks very much for the ID, Eric!
Hi, jgorneau. Yup, the photo to the right on the Wikipedia page shows the adult sweetlips.
Thanks, codoe23!
Hi Nopayahnah. It's just white and brown. In the last photo, the white areas of the fish look pink because of the reflection from the nearby sponge. Err--I don't see any blue there...
The fourth photo could be your first perhaps as it gives a clearer view of the fish. Are those the real colors, pink, white, blue?
Spotted on Jan 30, 2012
Submitted on Jan 30, 2012
