The Ribboned sweetlips, Plectorhinchus polytaenia, a sweetlips of the family Haemulidae, also known as the yellow-ribbon sweetlips, is found in East Indo-West Pacific oceans. Its length is up to 50 cm.
Juveniles have black stripes and live alone on rubble slopes in deep water. As they age, the black is reduced to an outline, and the stripes become more yellow; increasing stripes develop with age. Their bright colors help them blend into the coral they live in. These fish feed on crabs, shrimps, sea snails and worms. Ribboned Sweetlips get their name from their large lips.
Pictures: Komodo, Indonesia by Sami Salmenkivi
The Fish Directory 