WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus vittatus

Also known as: Oriental Blubberlips, Oriental Dogfish, Oriental Grunt, Oriental Sweetlip, Oriental Sweetlips, Oriental Thicklip, Sweetlips, Yellow-banded Sweetlips

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2019
Adult
@fishx6 · Gangehi, Maldives · March 20081 / 24

Showing details for the adult stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.

01

Overview

Found singly or in schools, during the day close to caves and ledges, dispersing at night hunting for food, over coral reefs and inshore rocky reefs, rich in coral growth.

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.

02

How to identify

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03

Habitat & where to find it

Where the adult stage lives, and where its photos were taken.

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Exact location · 1
  • Country only · 23
LIVES IN

Found singly or in schools, during the day close to caves and ledges, dispersing at night hunting for food, over coral reefs and inshore rocky reefs, rich in coral growth.

04

Adult photos 24

05

Discussion

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    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 vittatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Grunts (Haemulidae)