WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Black-spotted Rubberlip

Plectorhinchus gaterinus

Also known as: African Grunt, Black-spotted Grunt, Black-spotted Sweetlips, Spotted Grunt, Spotted Sweetlips, Sweetlips

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2019
Adult
@markransom · sharm el sheikh (2007), Egypt · October 20071 / 7
01

Overview

Found in large schools, during the day under ledges and along coral slopes, dispersing at night hunting for food, over sand banks, of estuaries and coastal reefs.
They feed nocturnally on benthic crustaceans and invertebrates.

In some areas of the world 'Grunts' are better known as 'Sweetlips' distinguished from other species by their very large rubbery lips.
'Grunts'because they "grunt," the grunting sound is produced by their flat teeth plates rubbing together and this is amplified by their air bladders.
Found either singly or in schools hovering or motionless over the reef during the day, becoming nocturnal predators.

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How to identify

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03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Indian Ocean
  • Exact location · 2
  • Country only · 5
LIVES IN

Found in large schools, during the day under ledges and along coral slopes, dispersing at night hunting for food, over sand banks, of estuaries and coastal reefs.

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Adult photos 7

05

Discussion 1

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1 comment

  • IndigoHamlet· 29 Nov 2015

    This is a great photo, and helped me identify my own sighting of this pretty fish off Kenya's southern coast.

ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classTeleostei
  4. orderEupercaria incertae sedis
  5. familyHaemulidae
  6. genusPlectorhinchus
  7. speciesPlectorhinchus gaterinus (Forsskål, 1775)

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

06

More in the family

Grunts (Haemulidae)