tripletail
Lobotes surinamensis
The fish that pretends to be a leaf. It floats on its side near buoys and debris; sight fishing and a hard fight.
Also called: prejereba, dorminhoco
- common size
- 40–70 cm
- maximum
- 110 cm
- common weight
- 2–8 kg
- record/max.
- 19.0 kg
- depth
- 0–30 m
- ideal water
- 23–29 °C
who is the tripletail
The tripletail is the fish that pretends to be a leaf. Juveniles and many adults float on their side next to floating objects, such as buoys, logs, sargassum, aquaculture lines and markers, mimicking a branch or dead leaf to ambush shrimp and small fish. It lives in estuaries, bays and open sea along Brazil's warm coast, and exceeds 1 m. It's a sight-fishing game: you look for the floating fish, cast a live shrimp or a shrimp lure nearby and watch for the strike. It fights hard, with short runs and jumps, and tries to tangle in the buoy or line. White, firm and very good meat.
fun facts
- Floats on its side at the surface and changes color to look like a leaf or a branch.
- It is the only species of its family in the western Atlantic.
identification
Tall, compressed body, concave head profile and a large, oblique mouth. Soft dorsal fin; rounded, large anal and tail fins form the "three tails" shape. Straw-yellow to dark brown, mottled like a dead leaf. Not confused with other fish on the list: floating sideways near floating objects already identifies it.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
where found
From Amapá to Santa Catarina, in estuaries, bays and open sea. In the Southeast it shows up in summer around buoys, shellfish farms and sargassum patches.
Habitat: Near floating objects, buoys, aquaculture lines, logs and sargassum; also pilings, wrecks and estuaries.
coast
states
Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina
when to fish
best season
In the Southeast and South, from December to March, when warm blue water arrives. In the Northeast and North, all year, with more fish in calm-sea months.
best time of day
Daytime. Visual fishing during the day, with sun to see the floating fish. It also feeds at dawn.
what affects the tripletail
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
It disappears with cold water; it's a summer fish in the Southeast.
atmospheric pressure
Stable weather and calm seas are ideal.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Rain hurts visibility; it doesn't stop the fish.
water level
Flat sea makes it easy to find the floating fish; strong chop hides it.
noise
Very sensitive to boat approach: come in on an electric motor or drifting, and cast from a distance.
wind
Strong wind prevents sight fishing.
tide
In the estuary, a running tide pushes shrimp toward the buoys, and the tripletail stays on the current side. At slack tide it keeps floating but feeds less.
depth
At the surface, close to the floating object; sometimes just below, at 1 or 2 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 6'6" to 7'0", 15 to 30 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 4000 to 5000
- line
- braid 20 to 30 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 40 to 50 lb, 1 m
- hook
- strong-wire hook 2/0 to 4/0
lures
- shrimp 8 to 10 cm
- jig head with shad
- fly imitating shrimp
natural baits
- live shrimp
- live anchovy or sardine
accessories
- polarized glasses
- alicate
tip from an angler
Cast one to two meters past the fish and bring the bait across in front of it, without hitting the object. On the hookset, pull it away from the buoy right away, or it will wrap around the line.
rules for the tripletail
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the national list of threatened species.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Watch the serrated preopercle. Hold it under the body and release it next to the buoy, where it came from.
in the kitchen
White, firm and very tasty meat; grilled, fried or in moqueca.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0136195, b = 3.01; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana por forma da família, comprimento total); coeficiente a ajustado ao porte máximo registrado). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Lobotes surinamensis (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Lobotes surinamensis (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Lobotes surinamensis (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 23/08/2012)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Lobotidae chapter (Carpenter, K. E.).
- scientific Menezes, N. A.; Buckup, P. A.; Figueiredo, J. L.; Moura, R. L. (orgs.) (2003). Catálogo das espécies de peixes marinhos do Brasil. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da USP. 160 p.List of the marine species recorded in Brazil. Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record in FishBase, which cites the catalogue for the species.