Coloration can vary from almost black through reddish bronze to yellow or mottled. Tripletails really only have one tail. They look like they have three, though, because their top and bottom fins are set so close to their tail fin. They gather near pilings, jetties, buoys and other floating objects at the mouths of rivers, passes and bays.
Tripletails often float on their sides at the surface, where they look like dead leaves.