Tripletail wrasse (Cheilinus trilobatus)

Image source: Jo's Animal Database
General data
- Main name: Tripletail wrasse
- Climates: Tropical
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: Africa, Asia, Australia & Oceania
- Distribution: Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean, Red sea
Classification
- Genus: Cheilinus - Cheilinus
- Family: Labridae - Wrasses
- Order: Labriformes - Wrasses
- Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
The tripletail wrasse (Cheilinus trilobatus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses. It has a moderately deep body with a tri-lobed tail. Its body is green to brown with molted purple and red markings. There are 4 vertical dark stripes on its body. Its head has red spots and red lines radiating from its eye. It lives in lagoons and seaward reefs at depths of 1–30 metres (3 ft 3 in – 98 ft 5 in). It eats shelled benthic invertebrates such as mollusks and crustaceans, sometimes small fish.