Tripletail Maori Wrasse, Cheilinus trilobatus Lacépède, 1801
Maori Wrasse, Trilobed Maori Wrasse, Triple-tail Maori, Triple-tail Maori-wrasse, Tripletail Wrasse
Click to enlarge image
© Marc Ashbil
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Cheilinus
- Species
- trilobatus
- Family
- Labridae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- The species grows to about 45 cm in length.
Introduction
The Tripletail Maori Wrasse is greenish to brownish with a vertical red and green line on each scale. The species occurs in tropical inshore and coral reef waters of the Indo-west and Central Pacific.
Identification
The Tripletail Maori Wrasse is greenish to brownish with a vertical red and green line on each scale. The head and thorax have orange-red dots and irregular lines. There is a white band on the caudal peduncle and another on the base of the caudal fin. The caudal fin of males is rounded with elongate upper and lower lobes.
Habitat
It occurs in tropical inshore and coral reef waters.
Distribution
The species occurs in the Indo-west and Central Pacific. In Australia it is known from off central to north-western Western Australia and northern Queensland to northern New South Wales.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
Feeding and diet
The Tripletail Maori Wrasse feeds mainly on small fishes.
References
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. in Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
