Redbelly yellowtail fusilier

  Tropical reef fish

Identity card

Redbelly yellowtail fusilier

Scientific name:
Caesio cuning
Family:
Caesionidae
Class:
Actinopterygii
Phylum:
Chordata
Year of description:
Bloch, 1791
IUCN Status:
Least Concern
Distribution:

Indo-Pacific.

Habitat:

Between 1 and 60 m.

Size:

60 cm max.

Diet:

Zooplankton.

 

The redbelly yellowtail fusilier owes its name to the elongated, projectile-like shape of its body.

Guillaume, Tropical Sector Manager

Did you know?

Where is the animal to be found?

  • The redbelly yellowtail fusilier lives in an Indo-Pacific area stretching from Sri Lanka to Vanuatu and from southern Japan to northern Australia.
  • A species associated with coastal areas, it lives in coral reefs but also evolves in the rocky and sandy habitats of mangroves.

How can it be recognised?

  • The forked tail fin is typical of pelagic fish. It is yellow.
  • The belly is pale or pink so that it cannot be seen from below by predators.
  • The upper part of the body is blue-grey.
  • It lives in schools.

What is distinctive about it?

The redbelly yellowtail fusilier is oviparous

Threats and protective measures

There are no specific conservation efforts for the redbelly yellowtail fusilier. 

Where can I find it at Nausicaá?

Mankind and shores

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