Tripletail

Tripletail the Basics

The Atlantic tripletail is a warm water fish so named for the three fins on its tail end. The tripletail is known to fishermen by other names, including flasher and steamboat. The tripletail can grow to thirty-five inches long and can weigh up to forty-one pounds. This makes the tripletail a moderate sized fish. Its size and nature make the tripletail a favorite of fishing expeditions in Key West.

Tripletail prefer tropical and sub-tropical environments, including in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Though they are typically tropical fish, tripletails can be found in habitats such as estuaries, bays, and sounds all along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to the Caribbean during summer months.

Besides their three-part tails, the tripletail have special coloring. When young, tripletails are a mix of brown, yellow, and black. When they achieve adulthood, they are black with some random spotting that may be red, brown, or yellow.

HowTripletail Feed & What's Unique

Tripletails are known as opportunistic feeders. This means that they typically eat whatever they can find, including creatures that cross their paths. Tripletails are carnivores, so they tend to feed on small finfish like Atlantic bumpers, anchovies, and gulf menhaden. They also eat brown shrimp and blue crab.

Tripletails are a unique fish. Not only do they have a distinctive tail structure, but young tripletail fish are known to lay on their sides. While floating, they hide themselves amongst floating debris and blend in like dead leaves. This behavior is a protective one.

How We Get Tripletail

Tripletails are typically solitary fish, but they can be found in schools from time to time. Because they tend to travel alone, catching tripletails can be a challenge. They can be found in the so-called flotsam and jetsam that floats off-shore. Another tip is to cast into large beds of seaweed, where the fish like to hide.