Caesionidae

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Caesionidae
Caesio teres and Caesio caerulaurea.jpg
Fusiliers at Great Barrier Reef
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Caesionidae
Bonaparte, 1831 [1]
Genera

see text

Synonyms

Caesioninae

Caesionidae, the fusiliers, are a family of marine ray-finned fishes in the order Perciformes. The family includes about 23 species. They are related to the snappers, but adapted for feeding on plankton, rather than on larger prey. They are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific and in the Red Sea.

Contents

Taxonomy

Caesionidae was named by the French zoologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1831. [1] The family takes its name from the genus Caesio which was named in 1801 by Bernard Germain de Lacépède, the name derived from caesius meaning "blue", as the type species of Caesio is the blue and gold fusilier ( Caesio caerulaurea ). [2] They are sometimes divided into two subfamilies, the Caesioninae containing the genera Caesio and Pterocaesio and the monotypic genera Dipterygonotus and Gymoceasio in the Gymnocaesoninae. [3] Some authorities place the fusiliers within the family Lutjanidae, the snappers, even going as far as placing the within the subfamily Lutjaninae. [4] The 5th edition of Fishes of the World, however, retains it as a separate family while acknowledging the close relationship to the snappers but states that more morphological and molecular studies are required to ascertain its true status. [5]

Genera

The following genera are classified within the family Caesionidae: [6]

Characteristics

Caesionidae fusiliers have cylindrical and streamlined bodies, [7] with an oblong or fusiform shape and which are laterally flattened. Their shape is similar to the closely related Lutjaninae snappers. A line drawn along the body from the snout to the centre of the tail would pass through the eye. They have small, protrusible mouths with small teeth in the jaws and there may or may not be teeth on the other parts of the mouth. They have a deeply forked caudal fin with angular tips to the lobes. The dorsal and anal fins are quite evenly sloped from the front to the back, except that in Dipterygonotus they are not evenly sloped and some dorsal spines are nearly separate. The dorsal fins have 10–15 thin spines and 8–22 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 9–13 soft rays. The pelvic fins have a single spine and 5 soft rays while the pectoral fins contain 16–24 rays. [8] They can attain a length of up to 60 cm (24 in), though most species only reach about half that length. [7] In most species the dorsal and anal fins have scales. Fusiliers do my have stripes on the flanks, some species have black markings on their tails but in all species the axil of the pectoral fins is black. [8]

Distribution and habitat

Caesionidae are found in the Indo-Pacific region. [6] Fusiliers are mainly fishes of coral reefs and occur from close to the surface down as far as 60 m (200 ft). [8]

Biology

Caesionidae are schooling fish, often in mixed species aggregations with other fusiliers. [8] The extensible upper jaws.are adapted for picking zooplankton. [7] Fusiliers are diurnal, they spend the day feeding in large aggregations in middle of the water column over reefs, along steep outer reef slopes and around pinnacles in deep water in lagoons. They are active swimmers but often pause to feeds or to visit the stations of cleaner fish. They shelter in the reef during the night. [6]

Fisheries

Caesionidae fishes are highly important species for coral reef fisheries, these fisheries use drive-in nets to catch fusiliers. Typically they are sold as fresh fish but they may also be fermented to make fish paste. [8] They are also caught by tuna fishers for use as bait. [6]

Timeline

QuaternaryNeogenePaleogeneHolocenePleist.Plio.MioceneOligoceneEocenePaleoceneCaesioQuaternaryNeogenePaleogeneHolocenePleist.Plio.MioceneOligoceneEocenePaleoceneCaesionidae

Related Research Articles

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The bigeye snapper, also known as the bigeye seaperch, red sea lined snapper, golden striped snapper, rosy snapper, yellow snapper, or simply snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. It is the type species of the genus Lutjanus.

<i>Lutjanus</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

Lutjanus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, snappers belonging to the family Lutjanidae. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. They are predatory fish usually found in tropical and subtropical reefs, and mangrove forests. This genus also includes two species that only occur in fresh and brackish waters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowback fusilier</span> Species of fish

The yellowback fusilier is a pelagic marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific, being found in shallow water from the East African coast to Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldband fusilier</span> Species of fish

The gold-band fusilier also known as the yellow-band fusilier or black-tipped fusilier, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It is widespread around reefs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark-banded fusilier</span> Species of fish

The dark-banded fusilier, also known as blue-streak fusilier, bluedash fusilier, or neon fusilier, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It has a wide Indo-West Pacific range. It is of some importance to fisheries within its range.

<i>Pterocaesio</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

Pterocaesio is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, fusiliers belonging to the family Lutjanidae. They are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Caesio</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

Caesio is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, fusiliers belonging to the family Lutjanidae. They are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, although one species has invaded the eastern Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal by Lessepsian migration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slender fusilier</span> Species of ray-finned fish

The slender fusilier is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to tropical reefs in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, it is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries. This species is the only known member of its genus.

<i>Caesio teres</i> Species of fish

Caesio teres, the yellow and blueback fusilier, beautiful fusilier, blue and gold fusilier or yellow-tail fusilier, is a species of marine, pelagic ray-finned fish belonging to the family Caesionidae. It occurs in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

<i>Caesio caerulaurea</i> Species of fish

Caesio caerulaurea, the blue and gold fusilier, blue fusilier, gold-band fusilier or scissor-tailed fusilier, is a species of marine fish in the family Caesionidae. It is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area, including the Red Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar fusilier</span> Species of fish

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<i>Pinjalo</i> (genus) Genus of ray-finned fishes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinamanfish</span> Species of fish

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<i>Pterocaesio pisang</i> Species of fish

Pterocaesio pisang, the banana fusilier or ruddy fusilier, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It is widespread around reefs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Caesio cuning</i> Species of fish

Caesio cuning, the redbelly yellowtail fusilier, yellowtail fusilier, red-bellied fusilier or robust fusilier, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It is native to the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

<i>Pterocaesio marri</i> Species of fish

Pterocaesio marri, Marr's fusilier, bigtail fusilier, blacktip fusilier, bananafish or twinstripe fusilier is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It is widespread around reefs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Caesio suevica</i> Species of fish

Caesio suevica, the Suez fusilier, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It is endemic to the Red Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double-lined fusilier</span> Species of fish

The double-lined fusilier, also known as the double stripe fusilier or blacktipped fusilier, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the family Caesionidae. It is widespread around reefs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Etelis carbunculus</i> Species of fish

Etelis carbunculus, the deep-water red snapper, ruby snapper, longtail snapper, or ehu, is a species of ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Pinjalo pinjalo</i> Species of fish

Pinjalo pinjalo, the pinjalo, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is found in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.

References

  1. 1 2 Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). "Family-group names of Recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 001–230.
  2. ↑ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (5 January 2021). "Order LUTJANIFORMES: Families HAEMULIDAE and LUTJANIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Henry C. Schultz III. "It's Your Aquarium: Don't Make That Snap Decision; Be Fussy About Its Inhabitants: The Family Caesionidae". Fish Tales. Reefkeeping. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Lutjanidae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  5. ↑ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 457–458. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Caesionidae". FishBase . February 2021 version.
  7. 1 2 3 Johnson, G.D.; Gill, A.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 184. ISBN   0-12-547665-5.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 K.E. Carpenter (2001). "Caesionidae". In Carpenter, K.E. & Volker H. Neim (eds.). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 5: Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae) (PDF). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO Rome. p. 2919.
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