Tripletail
Lobotes surinamensis
Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).
- English
- Tripletail
- Scientific
- Lobotes surinamensis
- Dhivehi
- ހުއިފަތު މަސްKandu faana
- Group
- Reef fish
- Family
- Lobotidae (tripletails)
- Maximum size
- Up to about 1.1 m (total length); commonly 80 cm; max. published weight 19.2 kg (FishBase); MRS 1997 gives common to 50 cm; max. 1 m
- Depth and habitat
- Near the bottom and in the water column above it, recorded from 0 to 70 m (usually 0 to 70 m); also enters brackish water
- IUCN status
- LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2012
Description
A deep-bodied fish with rounded dorsal and anal fins that look like extra tail lobes, olive to dark brown and mottled. Adults drift lazily on their side near floating objects offshore, ambushing small fish and crustaceans. Juveniles are yellowish and float like dead leaves in weedy shallows.
In the Maldives
MRS (1997) records two Dhivehi names: kandu faana ('ocean grouper') for adults seen offshore, which look like groupers, and huifathu mas for juveniles in weedy lagoons.
Sources
- fishbase.se /summary/Lobotes-surinamensis.html
- fao.org /4/AD471E/AD471E00.htm
- dv.wikipedia.org /wiki/ހުއިފަތު_މަސް
- commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Lobotes_surinamensis_Gobius.jpg
Dhivehi name source: M.R.S. (1997) Fishes of the Maldives (FAO/BOBP MAG/21) gives 'Kandu faana, Huifathu mas' (Latin form). Thaana from the Dhivehi Wikipedia article 'ހުއިފަތު މަސް' (not in the MRS-derived list); it matches the Latin form. FishBase also lists 'Naharidathimas' under India (Minicoy/Lakshadweep Mahl dialect); not used.