Editing Atlantic tripletail

{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Tripletail Lobotes surinamensis.jpg
| image_caption = Adult
| image2 = Lobotes surinamensis Malta.JPG
| image2_caption = juvenile
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name = iucn>{{cite iucn|author1=Carpenter, K.E.|author2=Robertson, R.|name-list-style=&|year=2015|title=''Lobotes surinamensis''|page=e.T198670A16644032|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T198670A16644032.en|access-date=15 July 2023}}</ref>
| taxon = Lobotes surinamensis
| authority = ([[Marcus Elieser Bloch|Bloch]], 1790)
| synonyms = {{Specieslist
| Holocentrus surinamensis | Bloch, 1790
| Bodianus triourus | [[Samuel L. Mitchill|Mitchill]], 1815
| Lobotes somnolentus | [[Georges Cuvier|Cuvier]], 1830
| Lobotes erate | Cuvier, 1830
| Lobotes farkharii | Cuvier, 1830
| Lobotes incurvus | [[John Richardson (naturalist)|Richardson]], 1846
| Lobotes citrinus | Richardson, 1846
| Lobotes auctorum | [[Albert Günther|Günther]], 1859
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase|Lobotes|surinamensis|month=June|year=2023}}</ref>
}}

[[File:Lobotes surinamensis1.jpg|thumb|''Lobotes surinamensis'', [[Rio Grande do Sul]], Brazil]]

The '''Atlantic tripletail''' ('''''Lobotes surinamensis'''''), also known as the '''black grunt''', '''black perch''', '''buoy fish''', '''buoyfish''', '''brown triple tail''', '''brown tripletail''', '''conchy leaf''', '''dusky triple-tail''', '''dusky tripletail''', '''flasher''', '''sleepfish''', '''triple tail''', '''triple-tail''', '''tripletail''', or '''tripple tail''' is a species of marine [[ray-finned fish]] belonging to the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Lobotidae]]. 

This fish is found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world except for the Eastern Pacific Ocean, where its [[Sister group|sister species]], the [[Lobotes pacifica|Pacific tripletail]] (''Lobotes pacifica'') is found.

==Taxonomy==
The Atlantic tripletail was first formally [[Species description|described]] in 1790 as ''Holocentrus surinamensis'' by the German [[physician]] and [[naturalist]] [[Marcus Elieser Bloch]] with its [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] given as the [[Caribbean Sea]] off Suriname.<ref name = CofF>{{Cof genus |genus=Lobotes |access-date=26 October 2023}}</ref> In 1830 [[Georges Cuvier]] proposed the new [[genus]] ''[[Lobotes]]'' with ''Holocentrus surinamensis'' its [[type species]] by [[Monotypic taxon|monotypy]].<ref name = CofF2>{{Cof family |family=Lobotidae |access-date=26 October 2023}}</ref> Some authorities treat ''Lobotes'' as a [[monospecific genus]] with the Pacific tripletail (''[[Lobotes pacifica|L. pacifica]])'' being regarded as a [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonym]] of a single pantropical ''L. surinamensis''.<ref name = FM>{{cite web |url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/lobotes-surinamensis/ |title=Lobotes surinamensis |access-date=25 October 2023 |author=Tina Perrota |work=Discover Fishes |publisher=Florida Museum}}</ref> ''Lobotes'' is one of two genera in the family [[Lobotidae]] which the 5th edition of ''[[Fishes of the World]]'' classifies in the [[Order (biology)|order]] [[Spariformes]], although has also been classified in the order [[Acanthuriformes]] by[[Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes]] (2025).<ref name = Nelson5>{{cite book |author1=Nelson, J.S. |author1-link=Joseph S. Nelson |author2=Grande, T.C. |author3=Wilson, M.V.H. |year=2016 |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |place=Hoboken, NJ |pages=502–506 |isbn=978-1-118-34233-6 |lccn=2015037522 |oclc=951899884 |ol=25909650M |doi=10.1002/9781119174844}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Fricke |first=R. |last2=Eschmeyer |first2=W. N. |last3=Van der Laan |first3=R. |date=2025 |title=ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION |url=https://www.calacademy.org/eschmeyers-catalog-of-fishes-classification |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=California Academy of Sciences |language=en}}</ref>

==Description==
The Atlantic tripletail has an oval- to rhomboid-shaped, compressed body with a slightly concave forehead and an upper jaw which can be protruded a short distance. There is an outer row of small, densely set canine-like teeth in each jaw and an inner band of smaller teeth but no teeth on the roof of the mouth. The [[preoperculum]] is serrated, the serrations shrinking and multiplying as the fish ages, and the [[Operculum (fish)|operculum]] has two flat, hidden spines. The continuous [[dorsal fin]] is supported by 12 robust spines and 15 or 16 soft rays while the [[Fish fin|anal fin]] contains 3 spines and 11 soft rays. The soft rayed portions of the dorsal and anal fins are high and rounded and extend beyond the [[caudal peduncle]] to create the impression of three symmetrical [[caudal fin]]s. The caudal fin itself is rounded.<ref name = STRI>{{cite web |url=https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/3700 |title=Species: Lobotes surinamensis, Atlantic Tripletail |access-date=26 October 2023 |work=Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system |publisher=[[Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute]]}}</ref> Adults are dark brown or greenish yellow on the upper body and head and greyish silver on the lower body. The pectoral fins are pale yellow with the other fins being a darker colour than the body. The [[caudal fin]] has a yellow margin. This species has a maximum published [[total length]] of {{cvt|110|cm}} and a weight of {{Convert|19.2|kg|lb|round=0.5}}, with {{cvt|80|cm}} being typical.<ref name = Fishbase/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Edition |date=2023-02-28 |title=A Tale of Tails: The Atlantic Tripletail - Coastal Angler & The Angler Magazine |url=https://coastalanglermag.com/a-tale-of-tails-the-atlantic-tripletail/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |language=en-US}}</ref> Juveniles have a mottled body with a mix of yellow, brown and black.<ref name = FM/>

== Geographical distribution ==
The Atlantic tripletail is the only fish in the family [[Lobotidae]] that can be found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is, however, distributed across tropical seas especially in the Indonesian region which is commonly found in [[Wet market|wet markets]] such as in [[Pontianak]], [[West Kalimantan]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=BPS Kota Pontianak |url=https://pontianakkota.bps.go.id/indicator/56/424/1/produksi-perikanan-tangkap.html |access-date=2022-10-30 |website=pontianakkota.bps.go.id}}</ref>

In US waters, Atlantic tripletails are found from [[Massachusetts]] and [[Bermuda]] to [[Argentina]], the eastern [[Atlantic]] and [[Mediterranean Sea]], from [[Madeira Island]] to the [[Gulf of Guinea]], the eastern Pacific from [[Costa Rica]] to [[Peru]], and the western Pacific from Japan to [[Fiji]] and [[Tuvalu]]. They are rarely found north of [[Chesapeake Bay]]. They are found on the [[Gulf Coast]] from April to October and then migrate to warmer waters during winter. In the spring, tripletails concentrate just offshore of two particular spots: Port Canaveral, Florida (March–June) and Jekyll Island, Georgia (April–July).

The Atlantic tripletail has been recorded as far north as the United Kingdom.<ref name = Wales>{{cite web | url = https://museum.wales/articles/1114/Exotic-Marine-Fish---evidence-of-rising-sea-temperatures-around-Wales-/ | title = Exotic Marine Fish - evidence of rising sea temperatures around Wales? | author= Graham Oliver | access-date= 4 March 2024 | publisher = Amgueddfa Cymru}}</ref>

== Habitat and ecology ==
Atlantic tripletails are found coastally in most, but not all, tropical and subtropical seas. They are semimigratorial and [[pelagic]]. Normally solitary, they have been known to form schools. They can be found in bays, sounds, and estuaries during the summer. Juveniles are usually found swimming under patches of ''[[Sargassum]]'' algae. In the [[Gulf of Mexico]], adults are usually found in open water, but can also be found in passes, inlets, and bays near river mouths. Large adults are sometimes found near the surface over deep, open water, although always associated with floating objects. Young fishes are also often found in or near shipwrecks, beams or supports, jetties, flotsam and sea buoys. Fry are usually found in waters that exceed 84&nbsp;°F (29&nbsp;°C), greater than 3.3‰ salinity, and more than 230 feet (70 m) deep.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://fishbull.noaa.gov/921/ditty.pdf|title=Larval development of tripletail ''Lobotes surinamensis'' (Pisces: Lobotidae), and their spatial and temporal distribution in the northern Gulf of Mexico |author=Ditty, James G |author2= R F Shaw| journal= Fishery Bulletin |volume =92 |year=1993| pages=33–45}}</ref>

Tripletail are well known for their unusual behavior of floating just beneath the surface with one side exposed, mimicking a leaf or floating debris. They are also known to be able to change between light and dark shades of their normal coloration. These behaviors may help juveniles avoid predators, and are also believed to be a feeding strategy. Located in rafts of [[Flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict|flotsam]], near buoys, channel markers, crab trap floats, and other floating structures that provide cover for prey species, tripletail floating on their side may appear to be part of this cover, allowing close approach before the prey are taken in ambush.<ref>{{cite journal|title= On the Behavior of Young ''Lobotes surinamensis'' | author=Breder Jr., CM|journal=Copeia| year=1949| volume=1949| issue=4| pages=237–242|doi=10.2307/1438372 | jstor=1438372}}</ref> The behavior has resulted in a rapidly increasing incidence of [[Recreational fishing|recreational fishermen]] sight-fishing for the floating tripletail, resulting in severe bag and length restrictions in Florida and Georgia to ensure future populations.<ref name = iucn/><ref name="dnr">{{cite web |url=https://coastalgadnr.org/sites/default/files/crd/RecFish/State_FMPs/Tripletail%20FMP%20Final%202017.pdf |title=Management Plan: Tripletail |date=June 2017 |publisher=Coastal Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources |access-date=8 June 2024  }}</ref>

== Biology ==
=== Diet ===
Atlantic tripletails are opportunistic eaters; they feed on a variety of foods, mostly small finfish such as [[gulf menhaden]], [[Atlantic bumper]]s, and [[anchovy|anchovies]]. They also feed on [[invertebrate]]s such as [[Callinectes sapidus|blue crabs]] and [[Farfantepenaeus aztecus|brown shrimp]], as well as other [[benthic]] [[crustacean]]s.<ref name = FM/>

=== Reproduction ===
Spawning primarily occurs in the summer along both the Atlantic and the U.S. [[Gulf of Mexico]] coasts, with peaks during July and August. The species is known to spawn in open water, with peak spawning occurring in the summer months. Females can produce up to 700,000 eggs per [[Spawn (biology)|spawning]] event, and the eggs are pelagic and buoyant. The larvae are planktonic and undergo significant morphological changes before settling to the substrate. Males reach sexual maturity at a smaller size and younger age than females.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=FishingTrips.com |title=FishingTrips® |url=https://fishingtrips.com/atlantic-tripletail |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=FishingTrips® |language=en-US}}</ref> Large congregations of tripletails during the summer months in the inshore and nearshore waters of coastal Georgia suggest this area is a critical estuarian spawning habitat for the species. Larval Atlantic tripletails go through four levels of development; preflexion, flexion, postflexion, and transformation. By the time the larvae reach 0.16 in (4&nbsp;mm), they have large eyes and concave heads. The larvae of Atlantic tripletails resemble those of other species such as [[Caproidae|boarfish]]es, some [[Carangidae|jack]]s, [[spadefish]]es, and [[Moronidae|bass]].<ref name = FM/>

=== Predators ===
Atlantic tripletail does not have many predators but is preyed upon by a variety of larger predators, including [[shark]]s, [[barracuda]]s, and other large predatory fish. Juvenile tripletail are also vulnerable to predation by birds, such as [[pelican]]s and [[gull]]s, which can be attracted to floating debris where the fish are sheltering.<ref name=":0" />

=== Parasites ===
Parasites of the tripletail include the [[copepod]]s ''[[Anuretes heckelii]]'' which affects the [[gill]]s, ''[[Lernanthropus pupa]]'' which affects the gill filaments, and the ectoparasitic copepod ''[[Caligus tenius]]''.<ref name = FM/>

== Importance to humans ==
A few tons of Atlantic tripletails are fished commercially on the east and west coasts of Florida, and marketed fresh, frozen, or salted. They are mainly caught using [[Seine fishing|haul seines]], [[Gillnetting|gill nets]], and line gear. They are common taken as [[bycatch]] in [[Drift netting|driftnet]] catches of [[tuna]] along the edge of the [[continental shelf]].<ref name = FM/> It is a [[Game fish|popular target]] for recreational anglers and its flesh is highly palatable and is considered superior to some other game fishes.<ref name = tpwd>{{cite web |url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/didyouknow/coastal/tripletail.phtml |title=Tripletail, A Weirdly Wonderful Fish |author=Bill Balboa |access-date=26 October 2023 |publisher=Texas Parks & Wildlife Department}}</ref>

== Conservation ==
The Atlantic tripletail is listed as a [[least-concern species]] by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ([[IUCN]]).<ref name = iucn/> Both Florida and Georgia have a bag limit of two fish per day for recreational fishing. In Florida, the minimum length is 18 in;<ref>{{cite web|author=CyberAngler |url=http://www.cyberangler.com/articles/fishing_regulations.html |title=Florida Saltwater Fishing Regulations: Florida Saltwater Fishing Bag Limits: Florida Saltwater Fishing |publisher=Cyberangler.com |access-date= 8 June 2012}}</ref> in Georgia, 18 in.<ref name="dnr"/><gallery mode="packed" widths="360">
File:Lobotes surinamensis Gobius.jpg|Adult in an aquarium
File:Lobotes surinamensis 233989272.jpg|Juvenile with distinct coloration
File:MatsuDI.jpg|Young juvenile near a floating [[Sargassum|algae mat]]
File:2659Aliling textures 41.jpg|Dorsal Spines
File:2562Aliling Isda Textures 17.jpg|Head
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2168666}}

[[Category:Lobotes|Atlantic tripletail]]
[[Category:Fish of the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Fish of the Indian Ocean]]
[[Category:Fish of the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Fish of the Mediterranean Sea]]
[[Category:Fish of the Red Sea]]
[[Category:Fish described in 1790]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Marcus Elieser Bloch]]