Common Name: Threespot Wrasse

Distribution: Uncommon in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region: from Christmas Island and Rowley Shoals in the eastern Indian Ocean to Line and Ducie Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island. In Australia recorded from Shark Bay in Western Australia, around the tropical north to the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, south to northern New South Wales, and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Adults frequents sandy areas of rocky and coral reef flats, juveniles in shallow coastal areas. Depth to at least 30 m.

Additional Notes: Green to yellow on back, scales with pink edges and pink markings on face. Dark ocellus on top side of caudal peduncle and smaller black spot on pectoral fin base. Feeds on invertebrates, fish eggs and small fishes. Often mixes with other species such as goatfishes, where it intercepts prey disturbed while feeding.  Grows to 27 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.316.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=halichoeres+trimaculatus. Accessed 30/05/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Halichoeres-trimaculatus.html. Accessed 30/05/18.