Oriental sweetlips, Plectorhinas vittatusWe took an underwater photography trip to the Philippines in December 2016. We returned in November 2024.
Sweetlips have big fleshy lips. They eat bottom-dwelling invertebrates (bristleworms, shrimps, small crabs). Juveniles look very different from adults and have an undulating swimming pattern, possibly mimicking poisonous flatworms as a means of predator avoidance.
Oriental sweetlips, Plectorhinas vittatus
Juvenile oriental sweetlips, Plectorhinchus vittatus
Striped sweetlips, Plectorhinchus lessonii
Juvenile Harlequin sweetlips, Plectorhinchus chaetodenoides
Juvenile painted sweetlips, Diagramma pictum
Coris (rainbow wrasses) are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. The yellowtail coris is native to the central Indian and western Pacific Oceans. It is found in areas that have a mix of sand patches, rubble, and coral. Adults have a bright orange anterior.
Juvenile yellowtail coris, Coris gaimard
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Last modified 7 December 2024