Animal Species:Tripletail Maori Wrasse, Cheilinus trilobatus Lacépède, 1801

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.

Tripletail Maori Wrasse caught near Ningaloo Reef

Tripletail Maori Wrasse caught near Ningaloo Reef
Marc Ashbil © Marc Ashbil

Alternative Name/s

Maori Wrasse, Trilobed Maori Wrasse, Triple-tail Maori, Triple-tail Maori-wrasse, Tripletail Wrasse

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.

Size range

The species grows to about 45 cm in length.

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.

Cheilinus+trilobatus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Tripletail Maori specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

Habitat

It occurs in tropical inshore and coral reef waters.

Feeding and Diet

The Tripletail Maori Wrasse feeds mainly on small fishes.

Classification

Species:
trilobatus
Genus:
Cheilinus
Family:
Labridae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. 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.
  3. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags FIshes, Ichthyology, Tripletail Maori Wrasse, Cheilinus trilobatus, Labridae, green, brown, red, 'normal fish', 30 cm - 1 m, stripes or bands, blotches/mottled, coral reef, marine, adult,