Yellowspotted Thicklip

The Yellowspotted Thicklip (Plectorhinchus flavomaculatus) is a tropical, marine species primarily associated with reefs and found at depths ranging from 2 to 80 meters. It can reach a maximum length of 60 cm. This species is characterized by its distinctive head markings of yellow stripes and spots. Juvenile caudal fins are slightly rounded, becoming emarginate in adults. The body color is bluish grey, with juveniles displaying golden or rusty orange stripes. These stripes transition into a reticulate pattern and eventually form small spots that may either fade or remain as lines or spots on the head as they mature.

The Yellowspotted Thicklip typically inhabits coastal inshore waters, favoring areas near sheltered reefs, lagoons, sandbanks, and seagrass beds. It can be found either solitarily or in groups. Adults generally occupy silty reefs at moderate depths or current channels occasionally venturing inshore, while juveniles are known to enter estuarine and harbor environments. Its diet consists of small fish and crustaceans. This species is commonly caught using handlines and spears and is available in the market as fresh fish, with a small portion processed as salted fish. It is regarded as a quality food fish.

Reproductive activities indicate the species is oviparous, with distinct pairing observed during breeding.

The etymology of Plectorhinchus derives from Greek, where 'plektos' means plaited and 'rhyngchos' refers to the snout.

The geographic distribution of the Yellowspotted Thicklip spans the Indo-West Pacific region, extending from the 🌊 Red Sea southward to Transkei, 🇿🇦 South Africa, east to Papua 🇵🇬 New Guinea, north to southern 🇯🇵 Japan, and south to undefined and New South Wales.