Harlequin sweetlips

Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides, the harlequin sweetlips, is a species of grunt native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It is a denizen of coral reefs found at depths of from 1 to 30 m (3.3 to 98.4 ft). It can reach 72 cm (28 in) in TL. The heaviest known individual weighed 7 kg (15 lb). This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can be found in the aquarium trade.[1]

Juvenile harlequin sweetlips mimic the movement of poisonous flatworms.

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

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.