Pi100            Plectorhinchus diagrammus/Perca diagramma  (Striped sweetlips)   

 

Phylum : Chordata

Class    : Actinopterygii

Order   : Perciformes

Family : Haemulidae

Genus  : Plectorhinchus

Species : P. diagrammus

 

Description:

Habitat: Marine; reef-associated. Tropical; 45°N - 25°S

Distribution:  It is native to the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, from the Andaman Islands to the Philippines, north as far as Japan, where it is an inhabitant of coral reefs.  It is native to the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, from the Andaman Islands to the Philippines, north as far as Japan, where it is an inhabitant of coral reefs.

Morphology: The fish have big, fleshy lips and tend to live on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific Ocean in small groups or pairs. They will often associate with other fishes of similar species; several species of sweetlips sometimes swim together. They are usually seen in clusters in nooks and crannies or under overhangs. At nightfall, they venture from their shelters to seek out their bottom-dwelling invertebrate prey, such as bristleworms, shrimps and small crabs. Sweetlips coloring and patterning changes throughout their lives. For example, Plectorhinchus polytaenia develops more stripes with age. Juvenile sweetlips generally look quite different from the adults, and often live solitary lives on shallower reef sections. Juveniles may be banded or spotted and are usually a completely different colour from the adults of their species. Small juveniles have an undulating swimming pattern, possibly mimicking poisonous flatworms as a means of predator avoidance

 

 

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated