Animal Species:Goldspotted Sweetlips, Plectorhinchus flavomaculatus (Ehrenberg, 1830)

The Goldspotted Sweetlips can be recognised by its colouration. It is found in tropical and some temperate marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific.

Goldspotted Sweetlips at South Solitary Island

Goldspotted Sweetlips at South Solitary Island
Ian Shaw © Ian Shaw

Alternative Name/s

Gold-spot Blubber-lips, Goldspot Sweetlip Bream, Lemon Sweetlips, Morwong, Netted Morwong, Netted Sweetlips, Rubberlip, Yellow-spotted Sweetlip

Identification

The Goldspotted Sweetlips can be recognised by its colouration. It is grey to brown with numerous yellow to orange spots on the body, dorsal fin and anal fin. Juveniles have orange and grey-blue lines on the head and body that break into spots as a fish ages.  The caudal fin usually has a dusky ventral margin.

Size range

The species grows to 60 cm in length.

Distribution

The species occurs in tropical and some temperate marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific. In Australia it is known from the south-western coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north and south to the southern coast of New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Plectorhinchus flavomaculatus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Goldspotted Sweetlips specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

Classification

Species:
flavomaculatus
Genus:
Plectorhinchus
Family:
Haemulidae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
  3. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  4. Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
  5. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  6. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags Fishes, Ichthyology, Goldspotted Sweetlips, Plectorhinchus flavomaculatus, Haemulidae, tropical water, marine, Gold-spot Blubber-lips, Goldspot Sweetlip Bream, Lemon Sweetlips, Morwong, Netted Morwong, Netted Sweetlips, Rubberlip, Yellow-spotted Sweetlip, grey, brown, yellow spots, orange spots, dots/spots, 30 cm - 1 m, temperate water,