Tripterygiidae

Oblique-swimming triplefin

Forsterygion maryannae

Schools swim suspended head above tail

• Temperate
• Southern Hemisphere
• Regional distribution
• Marine fish
• Pacific Ocean
• Oceania
• Elongated
• Small
• Temperate fish

The oblique-swimming triplefin (Forsterygion maryannae) is a triplefin, found along the north east coast of the North Island of New Zealand from depths of about 5 m to 50 m. They are the only triplefins not to spend most of their time resting on the bottom, instead swimming in loose schools of up to hundreds of individuals above rocky reefs. When swimming their head is higher than the tail, giving rise to their common name.