Sweetlips

One fish here, in all three tiers: the oriental sweetlips, Plectorhinchus vittatus. Juveniles are the boldly striped, wobbling swimmers people fall for; the adult loses that pattern, goes grey and spotted, and gets long and deep-bodied. Sand bed, open swimming room, meaty food several times a day.

Most people should not buy this fish. It ships badly, it often refuses prepared food for weeks, and it outgrows the tank that sold it to you. If you want one anyway, take the quarantined fish and watch it eat before it goes anywhere near your display.