Yellow-Banded Fusilier

Pterocaesio chrysozona

The yellow-banded fusilier (Pterocaesio chrysozona), also known as the goldband fusilier, is a species of fusilier in the family Caesionidae. Adults reach about 21 cm with a streamlined, torpedo-shaped body, silvery-blue coloration, and a distinctive golden-yellow horizontal band running along the midline. This species inhabits coral reefs and reef slopes at depths of 5-35 meters across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the western Pacific. Yellow-banded fusiliers are highly gregarious, forming large, fast-moving schools that sweep across reef walls feeding on zooplankton in the water column. Their coordinated schooling behavior creates spectacular underwater displays as hundreds of fish move in synchronized patterns. They play an important ecological role as planktivores and as prey for larger predators including trevally and tuna.