Fish
Harry Hotlips Rubberlip
Plectorhinchus gibbosus
A dark reef sweetlips marked by golden lines on the head, whose upper lip balloons grotesquely with age.
Also known as swart rubberlip
- Habitat
- Coral reefs
Harry hotlips is a dark rubberlip that always shows golden lines along the side of the head. Its lips, especially the upper, swell greatly as it grows, and the strong dorsal fin is deeply notched.
It is a coral-reef fish of the western Indian Ocean, reaching into South African waters, with adults recorded to well over half a metre. The bloated lips of big fish make it hard to mistake.