About Diagramma pictum (Thunberg, 1792)
Diagramma pictum, commonly called the painted sweetlips, has fleshy lips that grow larger as the fish matures. It has 6 pores on its chin, with no median pit. Its dorsal fin holds 9–10 spines and 22–25 soft rays, while its anal fin has 3 spines and 7 soft rays. Adult painted sweetlips are predominantly blue-grey, marked with bright yellow to golden orange spots; these spots often form lined patterns on the head. The inside of the mouth is vivid orange to red. Dorsal fins have black margins, and anal and pelvic fins have black tips. Juveniles have distinct alternating black and white stripes, with silvery yellow underparts. Their yellow dorsal and caudal fins are marked with black blotches and broken stripes. As the fish grows, its stripes grow, then begin to split into small circular spots, before fading on the body; they are sometimes retained on the caudal fin. This species reaches a maximum total length of 100 cm (39 in), with 55 cm (22 in) being a more common length. The maximum published weight for this species is 6.3 kg (14 lb). The painted sweetlips has a wide distribution across the Indo-Pacific. Its range stretches along the eastern coast of Africa from the Red Sea to KwaZulu-Natal, eastwards as far as Fiji, and northwards to Japan. It is not found in Australia, and is mostly absent from the southern coast of New Guinea. This fish occurs either alone or in groups, and is frequently found in turbid water. Its habitat includes open muddy, sandy, or silty substrates in protected bays or estuaries, as well as areas around rock outcrops, shipwrecks, and rubble. It can also be found in shallow coastal waters and on coral reefs. Juveniles prefer weedy habitats. Painted sweetlips feed on benthic invertebrates and smaller fish. Males and females form distinct pairs during spawning. This species can be found at depths down to 80 m (260 ft), and is most common over silty substrates.
