Harlequin sweetlips

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Harlequin sweetlips
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Haemulidae Genus: Plectorhinchus Species: P. chaetodonoides
Binomial name
Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides Lacepède, 1801

Juvenile harlequin sweetlips mimic the movement of poisonous flatworms.

The harlequin sweetlips, Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides, a sweetlips of the family Haemulidae, is found in Indo-West Pacific oceans. Its length is up to 72 cm.

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.

It inhabits coral reefs and feeds on crustaceans, mollusks and other fish.

[edit] References

• "Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. February 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.