Blue and gold fusilier
Caesio caerulaurea
Banana fusilier
Pterocaesio pisang
About
The banana fusilier is a slender, fast-moving reef fish that schools over open water above the reef. It grows up to 21 cm, with most closer to 14 cm.
Also known as: bananafish, bleeker's fusilier, ruddy fusilier, bleeker's fusilier, ruddy fusilier, fusilier
- Length
- 13.8 cm · max 21 cm
- Depth
- up to 100 m
How to tell it apart
Other fusiliers on the same reef often carry stripes down the flank. This species has none, so check instead for its plain body paired with dark-tipped tail lobes to tell it apart.
Appearance
The body is long and slim. The snout and upper eye are yellowish, the back and upper flanks grey-blue shading to pink on the lower flanks and belly. It has no stripes along the flanks, but a clear black lateral line, the faint sensory line along its side, runs its length. The tips of the tail fin are dark red to black.
Habitat
Found on coastal, lagoon, and seaward reefs across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Fiji and northern Australia, at depths from 1 to 100 m.
Did you know?
Its name comes from Ikan Pisang pisang, meaning "banana fish" in Jakarta, where it was first collected in 1853. Local people gave it that name because of its shape.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
