Painted Thicklip

Diagramma punctatum, a species of marine ray-finned fish commonly known as the sweetlips, belongs to the family Haemulidae. Notably, this species reaches a maximum total length of 35 cm (14 inches).

Georges Cuvier first formally described Diagramma punctatum in 1830, designating the 🌊 Red Sea as the type locality. The specific epithet "punctatum" translates to "spotted," aptly describing the distinctive spots observed on the heads of adult and subadult individuals.

In terms of appearance, the species exhibits a grey-brown coloration with small dark spots dorsally. Subadult individuals display a pattern of brown stripes and spots. Additionally, Diagramma punctatum is known to exhibit distinct pairing behavior during breeding.

This species is distributed across the western 🌊 Indian Ocean, with its range encompassing the 🌊 Red Sea and Socotra (🇾🇪 Yemen).