The Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus) is a marine (saltwater) fish in the Haemulidae family of grunt fish.

The Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips has big, fleshy lips. It changes its colour and patterns throughout its life. Typically, it gets more stripes as it ages, and the stripes in its tail are replaced with black dots on a yellow background.

It grows to about 72 centimetres (28 inches) in length. 

It is native to the western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. It prefers coral reefs and lagoons.

It is mainly nocturnal, active at night. It feeds at night on worms, shrimps, and small crabs.

The Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips lives in pairs or small groups. 

 

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM