Plectorhinchus lessonii
A reef fish most reliably found around Palau's Rock Islands, hovering in caves and under ledges at 25 to 29C year-round.
Grows to about 28cm, with a deep, laterally flattened body carrying dark horizontal stripes running from nose to tail over a pale or yellowish background. The thick, fleshy lips that give the sweetlips family its name are obvious even at a distance. Look for it hanging motionless near overhangs or cave mouths rather than out in the open sand.
Usually spotted hovering almost still under ledges, in small caves, or tucked against overhangs, often solo or in loose pairs rather than groups. It tends to hold its position as divers pass rather than bolt, though it will drift deeper into cover if approached too directly. Most sightings are logged as uncommon, so it rewards divers who take time to check shaded structure rather than scan open reef.
Like other sweetlips, it likely relies on cleaner shrimp and small cleaner fish that pick over its skin and gills while it hovers motionless near shelter, which explains why it tolerates close observation so well.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in the sightings, and with a comfortable range of roughly 25 to 29C it is a year-round find on the tropical reefs where it lives. Plan around the site rather than the calendar.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
Most reliably logged around Palau, especially the Rock Islands and Peleliu, with a further stronghold in Indonesia across Bali and Raja Ampat. Smaller but consistent numbers turn up in India's Andaman Islands and on reefs off Queensland, Australia.
Mapping where Lined Sweetlips is logged…
Palau is the strongest location, particularly the Rock Islands and Peleliu, with good numbers also in Bali and Raja Ampat in Indonesia. It also shows up in the Andaman Islands, India, and occasionally off Queensland, Australia.
There's no detected season, so sightings happen year-round. It's comfortable in water from about 25 to 29C, which covers most tropical dive conditions all year.
Look for a stocky, striped fish around 28cm long with thick lips, hovering motionless under ledges or in small caves rather than swimming openly over the reef. The dark horizontal stripes running the length of the body are the key giveaway.
They typically reach around 28cm, making them a modest-sized reef fish best spotted by checking shaded overhangs rather than scanning for something large.
No, they pose no threat to divers and are generally calm, often letting divers approach fairly close while they rest under ledges.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
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