Stethojulis trilineata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Threeribbon or Three-lined wrasse, 15cm

This species is rare at Kwajalein. It was first observed only in July of 2010 when one male and three females were spotted rapidly swimming around a shallow lagoon reef. They were seen in the same place several times over a couple of months, then were not found during several more revisits to the reef. Finally, in July of 2013, a male and at least one female were spotted again. As rare as these are here, it is currently assumed that these were the same individuals. Since that time, several more have been photographed by Stan Jazwinski and by Christina Sylvester on the lagoon side of Kwajalein Island.

Female.

Male and female together.

This large individual photographed by Christina Sylvester was in less than a half meter of water on the lagoon side of the north end of Kwajalein Island.

The remaining photos are captured from video and are therefore a bit fuzzy. The first shot is the male from 2010.

This was the male in 2013.

Female.

Created 26 May 2014
Updated 12 March 2018

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