Oriental Sweetlips

Photo: ivansmirnov · CC BY-NC

Oriental sweetlips gather in conspicuous groups of 10 to 20 individuals at specific overhangs on Cocoa Thila's mid-depth zone, their bold black and white horizontal stripes and orange-trimmed fins making them one of the most visually striking reef fish in the Maldives. Their large lips — which give the sweetlips family its common name — are used to probe sandy patches and rubble for the invertebrates that form the bulk of their diet. The same shoaling groups occupy the same overhangs day after day, making Cocoa Thila one of the most consistent sweetlips photography sites in Addu Atoll.