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Harlequin Sweetlips
Sweetlips

Harlequin Sweetlips

Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides

Sold as an irresistible juvenile — a bold brown-and-white polka-dot pattern combined with a wild, undulating swim thought to mimic a toxic flatworm — but this is a genuine long-term commitment: it grows past 60cm, sheds its entire juvenile look for a plain grey coat with fine black dots, and is notorious for refusing to eat in captivity, with many specimens wasting away despite good care. Only for a massive, well-established system with live feeder shrimp on standby.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
23.6"
Min tank
500 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe with caution
Diet
Carnivore
Zone
Bottom, Caves, Rockwork, Sand bed
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Harlequin Sweetlips gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Blue-Leg Hermit CrabHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Blue-Leg Hermit Crab is on the menu.Trochus SnailHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Trochus Snail is on the menu.Astrea SnailHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Astrea Snail is on the menu.Cerith SnailHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Cerith Snail is on the menu.Nassarius SnailHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nassarius Snail is on the menu.Nerite SnailHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nerite Snail is on the menu.Mexican Turbo SnailHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Mexican Turbo Snail is on the menu.Bumble Bee SnailHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Bumble Bee Snail is on the menu.Fighting ConchHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Fighting Conch is on the menu.Scarlet Reef Hermit CrabHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab is on the menu.Zebra Hermit CrabHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Zebra Hermit Crab is on the menu.Halloween Hermit CrabHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Halloween Hermit Crab is on the menu.Emerald CrabHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Emerald Crab is on the menu.Sally Lightfoot CrabHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Sally Lightfoot Crab is on the menu.Banded Serpent StarHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Banded Serpent Star is on the menu.Sand-Sifting StarfishHarlequin Sweetlips hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Sand-Sifting Starfish is on the menu.Skunk Cleaner ShrimpHarlequin Sweetlips hunts ornamental shrimp — your Skunk Cleaner Shrimp is on the menu.Fire ShrimpHarlequin Sweetlips hunts ornamental shrimp — your Fire Shrimp is on the menu.Peppermint ShrimpHarlequin Sweetlips hunts ornamental shrimp — your Peppermint Shrimp is on the menu.Coral Banded ShrimpHarlequin Sweetlips hunts ornamental shrimp — your Coral Banded Shrimp is on the menu.