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Three-lined rainbow wrasse (Stethojulis trilineata) — Labridae

Three-lined rainbow wrasse

Stethojulis trilineata
Family: Labridae

The Three-lined rainbow wrasse (Stethojulis trilineata) is a saltwater fish of the family Labridae that grows up to 17 cm.

Length
16.5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–20.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The three-lined rainbow wrasse is a small wrasse (Labridae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 17 cm; females and juveniles are greenish with fine dotted lines, while dominant males develop bright blue and orange longitudinal lines. As a reef-dweller it swims actively by day over shallow reef and seagrass bottoms and picks small invertebrates; at night it buries itself in the sand. It changes sex from female to male. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Three-lined rainbow wrasse?

The Three-lined rainbow wrasse has a torpedo-shaped body.

Where does the Three-lined rainbow wrasse live?

The Three-lined rainbow wrasse lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Three-lined rainbow wrasse get?

The Three-lined rainbow wrasse grows to a maximum of about 17 cm.

Is the Three-lined rainbow wrasse dangerous to humans?

No, the Three-lined rainbow wrasse is harmless to humans.

Is the Three-lined rainbow wrasse edible?

The Three-lined rainbow wrasse is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Drielijn-lipvis sourced
English name
Three-lined rainbow wrasse sourced
Scientific name
Stethojulis trilineata
Family
Labridae
Other names
Blue-ribbon wrasse; Red shouldered rainbow-fish; Scarlet-banded rainbowfish; Three-blueline wrasse; Three-lined rainbowfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
16.5 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
20.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten inferred
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Stethojulis

More from the family Labridae

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