Fish responsible for some receding ripple effects (3)
I believe the answer is:
eel
'fish' is the definition.
(I know that eel is a type of fish)
'some receding ripple effects' is the wordplay.
'receding' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'some' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue (some of the parts of the word are used).
'lee' is hidden in the letters of 'ripple effects'.
'lee' back-to-front is 'EEL'.
'responsible for' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for eel that I've seen before include "Slender fish" , "Conger, e.g." , "Slippery person" , "Slippery swimmer (may be jellied)" , "Slippery creature" .)