Harlequin sweetlips
Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides, the harlequin sweetlips, is a species of grunt native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It is a denizen of coral reefs found at depths of from 1 to 30 m (3.3 to 98.4 ft). It can reach 72 cm (28 in) in TL. The heaviest known individual weighed 7 kg (15 lb). This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can be found in the aquarium trade.[1]
Juvenile harlequin sweetlips mimic the movement of poisonous flatworms.
| Harlequin sweetlips | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Haemulidae |
| Genus: | Plectorhinchus |
| Species: | P. chaetodonoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides Lacépède, 1801 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Juveniles are brown with large white blotches and mimic the movement of a poisonous flatworm for defence against predators. They gain more spots and the spots reverse from white to black as they age.
References
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides" in FishBase. August 2013 version.
External links
- Photos of Harlequin sweetlips on Sealife Collection
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