Open Year-Round

Painted Sweetlips

Family Haemulidae

Also known as: Sweetlips, slatey

DPIRD Category Nearshore / Estuarine
Peak Season Year-round
Difficulty Beginner
Fight Rating ★★☆☆☆
Painted Sweetlips

Regulations & Limits

NEARSHORE / ESTUARINE

Limits by Bioregion

West Coast N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
South Coast N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
Gascoyne N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
Pilbara N/A
Species not commonly found in this region
North Coast (Kimberley) N/A
Species not commonly found in this region

ℹ️ Regulations can change. Always verify current rules at rules.fish.wa.gov.au

Size & Weight

Typical Size30-50 cm
Max Size90 cm
Typical Weight1-4 kg
Max Weight12 kg

Habitat

Where: Coral reefs, rocky outcrops and wrecks in tropical waters

Depth: 5-40m

ID Features: Fleshy lips, bold black and white spotted pattern on adults, juveniles strikingly different with brown and white

Season

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peak Available Poor

Peak: Year-round | Water Temp: 24-30°C

How to Catch Painted Sweetlips

1

Bottom fishing

Setup

  • Line: PE 2-3
  • Leader: 30-50lb fluorocarbon

Top Lures

  • Soft plastics

Best Baits

  • Prawns
  • Squid
  • Pilchards

Eating Quality

★★★☆☆ Good

Flesh: White, moist flesh with mild flavour

Best cooked: Pan-fried, steamed, baked

The Fight

★★☆☆☆ 2/5

Decent fighters that head for the reef. Their size and reef habitat make them a solid catch.

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