Cheilinus trilobatus Lacepède

Andréfouët, Serge, Chen, Wei-Jen, Kinch, Jeff, Mana, Ralph, Russell, Barry C., Tully, Dean & White, William T., 2019, Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records, Zootaxa 4588 (1), pp. 1-360 : 224

Cheilinus trilobatus Lacepède [ex Commerson] 1801—Tripletail wrasse

Status at New Ireland. First recorded from New Ireland as Cheilinus rivulatus by Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes (1840: 86), based on MNHN A.9051 (1 syntype); reported from St. Mathias by Duncker & Mohr (1929: 68). Specimens observed by Jeff Kinch during CFMDP Survey at Kavieng fish market in 2004–2005; a video of a specimen taken at Nubilus Island, off eastern New Hanover, 3–25 m depth, St. KR90, in 2014 (identified by Barry C. Russell). MNHN and ZMH material.

Distribution and habitat. New Ireland: 1, 2, 4.—General distribution: East and South Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Wake and Gambier islands, north to southern Japan, south to Western Australia, New Caledonia and Austral Islands. Found along shallow reef margins with good coral cover, 1–30 m depth. Marine.