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Pacific tripletail (Lobotes pacificus) — Lobotidae

Pacific tripletail

Lobotes pacificus
Family: Lobotidae

The Pacific tripletail (Lobotes pacificus) is a fish of the family Lobotidae that grows up to 100 cm.

Length
100 cm
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Pacific tripletail is a fish of the tripletail family (Lobotidae) from the eastern Pacific. The species grows to about 1 metre and has a deep, dark body in which the rounded dorsal and anal fins together with the tail fin appear to form a 'triple tail', to which the name refers. Young fish mimic floating leaves and often hang obliquely near floating material. As a predator it catches fishes and crustaceans. It is a valued sport and food fish. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Pacific tripletail?

The Pacific tripletail is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Pacific tripletail live?

The Pacific tripletail is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Pacific tripletail get?

The Pacific tripletail grows to a maximum of about 100 cm.

Is the Pacific tripletail dangerous to humans?

No, the Pacific tripletail is harmless to humans.

Is the Pacific tripletail edible?

Yes, the Pacific tripletail is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Pacifische drievoudstaart sourced
English name
Pacific tripletail sourced
Scientific name
Lobotes pacificus
Family
Lobotidae

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
100.0 sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Substrate
Open water sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Wordt met hengel en aas nabij drijvend materiaal en boeien bevist. sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Lobotes

More from the family Lobotidae

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