| Tripletail wrasse | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Labriformes |
| Family: | Labridae |
| Genus: | Cheilinus |
| Species: | C. trilobatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cheilinus trilobatus (Lacépède, 1801) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
The tripletail wrasse (Cheilinus trilobatus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses. [2]
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. [2]
It lives in lagoons and seaward reefs at depths of 1–30 metres (3 ft 3 in – 98 ft 5 in). [2]
It eats shelled benthic invertebrates such as mollusks and crustaceans, but sometimes fish. [2]