Animal Species:Banana Fusilier, Pterocaesio pisang (Bleeker, 1853)

The Banana Fusilier is a small tropical species is usually seen in schools near coral reefs. The species name 'pisang' is Indonesian for 'banana', hence the standard name.

Banana Fusiliers at 'Pixies Pinnacle'

Banana Fusiliers at 'Pixies Pinnacle'
Erik Schlögl © Erik Schlögl

Identification

The Banana Fusilier is slender fish with small scales and a strongly forked caudal fin. The body is dull pinkish or greenish-blue and the caudal fin has reddish tips. There are no stripes along the sides of the body.

Size range

It grows to 21 cm in length.

Similar Species

The Banana Fusilier looks similar to the Goldband Fusilier Pterocaesio chrysozona. The easiest way to tell them apart is the presence of a yellow stripe along the side of the body of the Goldband Fusilier.

Distribution

Very few specimens of this species are registered in Australian museums, and little is known of its distributional range in Australian waters. The species occurs in the Indo-West Pacific.

Distribution by collection data

Biomaps map of Banana Fusilier specimens in the Australian Museum collection.

What does this mean?

Habitat

Banana Fusiliers usually occurs near coral reefs in tropical marine waters.

Other behaviours and adaptations

The Banana Fusilier is a schooling species.

Classification

Species:
pisang
Genus:
Pterocaesio
Family:
Lutjanidae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Carpenter, K. E. 1987. Revision of the Indo-Pacific fish family Caesionidae (Lutjanoidea), with descriptions of five new species. Indo-Pacific Fishes. 15: 1-56.
  3. Carpenter, K.E. 1988. FAO species catalog. Fusiliers of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of caesionid species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. 125: i-iv + 1-75. Carpenter, K. E. 2001.
  4. Caesionidae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae). FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-iv, 2791-3379. Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Banana Fusilier, Pterocaesio pisang, Lutjanidae,