Largespot sweetlips (Plectorhinchus macrospilus)

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 macrospilus · Authority: Satapoomin & Randall, 2000 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 273491.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=273491 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 28.5 cm · Depth range: 5–30 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 24.8 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Solitary in caves, crevices, and pinnacle reefs (Ref. 90102).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 60754) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Plectorhinchus-macrospilus.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Plectorhinchus macrospilus Satapoomin & Randall, 2000 as Data Deficient (code DD). 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 179942022) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/179942022/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2382750) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2382750/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Plectorhinchus macrospilus has an oblong, compressed body with a strongly convex dorsal profile of its head and a small mouth which has fleshy, moderately thick lips There are 6 pores on the chin but there is no central pit. There is a slight notch in the dorsal fin and the caudal fin is truncate. The dorsal fin contains 12 spines and 21 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The adults have a background colour of white to greyish over most of the body, the bases of the dorsal, anal and caudal fin are yellowish.

The body colour is contrasted with large black spots, larger than the eye, on most of the body with smaller black spots on the head. The juveniles are marked with 4-5 black stripes, the width of the stripes being around half of the diameter of the eye. As the fish grows, these stripes break up into spots. This species attains a maximum total length of 28.5 cm.

Plectorhinchus macrospilus is found in the north eastern Indian Ocean in the Andaman Sea, off Myanmar and Thailand.

Plectorhinchus macrospilus can be found in the caves and crevices of coral reefs and in the vicinity of underwater pinnacles as deep as 30 m. It is a solitary species, except when spawning when they do so in distinct pairs.

Plectorhinchus macrospilus was first formally described in 2000 by Ukkrit Satapoomin and John E. Randall with the type locality given as Miang Island, one of the Similan Islands of Thailand. Its specific name macrospilus means "large marks" or "large spots", a reference to the large and obvious black spots on the body and fins of this species.

Source: Wikipedia: Plectorhinchus macrospilus — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectorhinchus_macrospilus (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.