Lobotes pacifica was first formally described in 1898 by the American ichthyologist Charles Henry Gilbert with its type locality given as Panama.

[2] It is one of two species in the genus Lobotes, the other is the Atlantic tripletail (L. surinamensis),[3] some authorities consider the two to be conspecific and L. pacifica to be a junior synonym of L.

[5] Lobotes pacifica has an oval to rhomboid shaped, compressed body with a slightly concave forehead and an upper jaw which can be protruded a short distance.

This species occurs in bays and brackish water in estuaries, as well as around floating objects in the open sea.

[6] Lobotes pacifica is caught in some artisanal fisheries and commercially sold.