Tripletail can reach a maximum size of 40 pounds although the average size is much smaller at around 15 pounds. Tripletail have a body that appears to have three tails – which are actually just the anal and dorsal fins.

Tripletail are quite the curious fish.  They are like a mixture of other fish looks and habits.  They have the general appearance of a large crappie in body shape, yet have the coloration of a rockbass.  Their habits appear to be taken from other fish as well.  They swim/float on their side just like a flounder.  But they are truely a surface fish, lounging around like a gar.  Thats exactly what they do too – float around under some sort of floating structure just waiting for some small fish to come along.  Not knowing that the tripletail is a fish and not floating debris, once the small fish, shrimp or crab come close enough the tripletail strikes quickly.

For years many people wouldn’t eat a tripletail if they caught one because they thought that the fish was sick due to its habit of floating near the surface on its side.  Tripletail however have some of the best meat of any fish that swims.  If you happen to catch one you should take precautions when handling one.  They have teeth and all of their fins are capable of inflicting serious stab wounds.  It is not even safe to grab them by the gills due to the fact that their gill flap is sharp as a knife.