Two-striped sweetlips (Plectorhinchus albovittatus)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Eupercaria incertae sedis · Family: Haemulidae · Genus: Plectorhinchus.

Accepted name: Plectorhinchus albovittatus · Authority: (Rüppell, 1838) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 218548.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Diagramma albovittatum Rüppell, 1838; Diagramma giganteum Günther, 1879; Gaterin albovittatus (Ruppell, 1838); Gaterin harrawayi Smith, 1952; Plectorhinchus harrawayi (Smith, 1952); Plectorinchus albovittatus (Rüppell, 1838).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218548 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Plectorhinchus albovittatus. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 100 cm · Depth range: 2–50 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 73.2 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: commercial.

FishBase notes: Found in clear lagoon and seaward reefs. Juveniles in brackish habitats or shallow turbid coastal areas (Ref. 9710). Adults usually solitary, occasionally in pairs; on deep reefs or with sea mounts (Ref. 48635). At Palau, aggregates to spawn about once a year around new moon of April or May (Ref. 37816).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 6362) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Plectorhinchus-albovittatus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

485 georeferenced occurrence records for Plectorhinchus albovittatus are published through GBIF from 27 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 100 distinct locations from a sample of 485 records, omitting 17 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Australia (169); Indonesia (100); Seychelles (99); New Caledonia (22); Micronesia (Federated States of) (20); Philippines (11); Kenya (10); Palau (9); India (5); Maldives (5); Chinese Taipei (5); Egypt (4); Guam (4); Saudi Arabia (4); Mayotte (3).

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2382626) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2382626&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218548 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Plectorhinchus albovittatus (Rüppell, 1838) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 68372514) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/68372514/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2382626) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2382626/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Plectorhinchus albovittatus has fleshy lips which become more swollen as the fish ages. There are 6 pores on the chin but there is no central pit. The dorsal fin contains 12 or 13, typically 13, spines and 16–20 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 7 soft rays. The juveniles are brown in colour, paler on the lower body than the upper body, and they are marked with 3 slender white bands one down the snout, the second starting on the nape and running to the tail and the third on upper part of the dorsal fin. The spined part of the dorsal fin is pale brown or cream, with a thin dark brown margin, the soft rayed part of the dorsal fin is dark brown with a pale horizontal stripe and a thinner stripe above it, both these bands extend to the rear margin of the dorsal fin. The caudal fin is dark brown below and white above with darker tips and a dark brown band running obliquely across its upper lobe. The anal fin is dark brown with its rear rays paler. The pectoral fins vary in colour from hyaline to very light brown, the pelvic fins have sooty brown tips. The adults are overall grey to grey-brown in colour on the upper body and flanks with the pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins being blackish while the lower lobe and upper tip of the caudal fin is black. The front part of the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin is black while the spined part of the dorsal fin is dusky to black, The lower lip and the chin are white with the abdomen being silvery grey to white in colour.

Plectorhinchus albovittatus is found in the Indo-West Pacific region from the coast of East Africa and the Red Sea east into Polynesia, north to Japan and south as far as New South Wales.

Plectorhinchus albovittatus is found in clear lagoons and over seaward reefs, although the juveniles occur in brackish water or shallow turbid coastal regions. The adults are normally solitary, although they are rarely observed in pairs and may be found on deep reefs or in the vicinity of sea mounts. In Palau this species has been observed aggregating to spawn annually either side of the new moon in April or May. It is an oviparous species which spawns as distinct pairs. They spend the daylight sheltering among the deeper sections of surge channels through the reef.

Plectorhinchus albovittatus was first formally described in 1838 as Diagramma albovittatum by the German naturalist Eduard Rüppel with the type locality given as Massawa in Eritrea. The specific name albovittatus means “white striped” and refers to the pattern of the juveniles.

Plectorhinchus albovittatus is caught using handlines and by spearfishing. The larger fish are sold fresh, a small proportion of the catch is preserved as salted fish.

Source: Wikipedia: Plectorhinchus albovittatus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectorhinchus_albovittatus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

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