Fish
Dusky Rubberlip
Plectorhinchus chubbi
A stout, dusky rubberlip of Natal and East African reefs whose lips swell to enormous size as it ages.
Also known as donker rubberlip
- Habitat
- Coral and rocky reefs
The dusky rubberlip is a heavy-bodied sweetlips first described from Natal. Like others in its group it develops the characteristic thick, rubbery mouth, and with age some individuals grow truly enormous lips.
It is a reef-associated fish of the western Indian Ocean, reaching into South African waters. Adults hold near coral and rocky structure where their swollen lips are an easy giveaway.