Two golden bands bordered with dark blue on snout and
cheek; transverse vermiculations on top of head. Attains 90
cm. Tropical Indo-Pacific.
181.24 Pristipomoides zonatus
(Valenciennes, 1830)
PLATES6
Obliquebanded snapper
Skeweband-snapper
Serranus zonatus Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1830: 509 (lie de
France = Mauritius). Tropidinius zonatus: Smith, SFSA No. 654*.
D X,lO-11; A III,8; P 15-16; LL 63-67; GR (5-8)+(12-14). Depth
2.7-3.1; head 2.7-2.9.
Sides of body with alternating, oblique, red and yellow
bars. Attains 50 cm. Tropical Indo-Pacific from Delagoa
Bay to Hawaii.
Fusiliers
Family No. 182: CAESIONIDAE
by M.M. Smith
Piesangvisse
Body rounded, fusiform, rather elongate; mouth small
with a row of fine teeth in front of a band of minute teeth (no
teeth in Dipterygonotus); upper jaw highly protrusible;
palate usually edentate; 1 or 2 distinct bony processes on
premaxilla, sliding beneath maxilla, clearly visible inside
the mouth; scales feebly ctenoid; caudal fin forked.
Tropical planktivorous fishes, usually associated with
coral reefs, previously included in the Lutjanidae. Four
genera occur in the Indo-West Pacific: Gymnocaesio
Bleeker, 1876 (9 dorsal spines) with 2 species, Dipterygonotus Bleeker, 1849 (13-15 dorsal spines) with 2
species, and Caesio and Pterocaesio (10-12 dorsal spines)
with about 20 species. The latter 2 genera contain most of
the species in this family and differ from the first 2 genera in
having the dorsal and anal fins scaly.
Nine species (1 Gymnocaesio, 5 Pterocaesio and 3 Caesio
spp.) are common in the tropical western Indian Ocean;
although only 3 species in 2 genera have been recorded from
our area, all 9 are illustrated on Plate 57 to aid identification
should they be found here.
KEY TO GENERA
1a Premaxilla with 1 post-maxillary process; C
uniform or with black band along each lobe . .. .. . . . .. .. .. . .. . ... Caesio
1b Premaxilla with 2 post-maxillary processes; C
lobes with black tips ... .. ... .. . .. ... ..... .... . .. .. ..... .. . .. .. ... Pterocaesio
Genus Caesio Lacepetie, 1801
KEY TO SPECIES
1a C uniform yellow in life with pink hind margin;
no median lateral golden band ..................................... C. teres
182: CAESIONIDAE (FUSILIERS)
1b C with a black band along each lobe; a dark
spot at upper P axil .......................................... C. caerulaureus
182.1 Caesio caerulaureus
Lacepede, 1801
PLATE S7
Blue-and-gold fusilier
Blou-en-goue piesangvis
Caesio caerulaureus Lacepede, 1801: 85 (Moluccas); Smith, SFSA No.
687*.
D X,14-15; A III, 11-13; P 18-22; GR (8-9)+(22-25); LL (48-56)+(4-7).
Depth 3.0-3.6, head 2.8-3.6; more or less single row of small conical teeth
in jaws; palatine teeth minute or absent. Preopercle with broad lobe and
margin with concealed serrae.
Preserved: brown above, light below; dark median broad
band along each C lobe; dusky triangular blotch less than
pupil at upper P base. The only other western Indian Ocean
form with these 2 characteristic markings is Pterocaesio tile
(Cuvier, 1830), which has D X,21-22. Attains about 30 cm.
Widespread in Indo-Pacific, south to Port Alfred. These
fishes swim in large shoals between the reefs, and suddenly
the diver will find himself in the midst of a whirling flock
reminiscent of being caught in a swarm of locusts, only the
fish never bump into the diver.
182.2 Caesio teres
Seale, 1906
PLATES7
Beautiful fusilier
Pragtige piesang
Caesio teres Seale, 1906: 44, Fig. 13 (Solomon Ids.). Caesio pulcherrimus Smith & Smith, 1963: 29, PI. 95 E (Assumption Ids.); Smith, 1963:
36; Smith, 1980: 180.
D X,15; A III,12; P 22; GR (10-11)+(24-26) = 35-37; LL 55-58. Depth
3.4-3.6, head 3.8-4; eye 1.0-1.3 in interorbital, slightly less than snout.
Yellow of back always ends close to predorsal, leaving
nape and top of head blue. In preserved specimens D is
always dusky. Attains 30 cm. One of the loveliest and most
shapely of fishes, swims in small shoals. Seychelles and
Kenya to Sodwana Bay.
Genus Pterocaesio Bleeker, 1876
Several species, 1 in our area.
182.3 Pterocaesio capricornis
(Smith & Smith, 1963)
PLATES7
Southern fusilier
Suidelike piesang
Caesio capricorn is Smith & Smith, 1963: 29, PI. 94E (Pinda, Mozambique); Smith, 1963: 37.
D X,15; A III,12; P 20; GR 8+(26-27); LL 67-70. Depth 4, head 3.4;
eye 1.0-1.1 in interorbital, 1.1-1.2 in snout.
579
cheek; transverse vermiculations on top of head. Attains 90
cm. Tropical Indo-Pacific.
181.24 Pristipomoides zonatus
(Valenciennes, 1830)
PLATES6
Obliquebanded snapper
Skeweband-snapper
Serranus zonatus Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1830: 509 (lie de
France = Mauritius). Tropidinius zonatus: Smith, SFSA No. 654*.
D X,lO-11; A III,8; P 15-16; LL 63-67; GR (5-8)+(12-14). Depth
2.7-3.1; head 2.7-2.9.
Sides of body with alternating, oblique, red and yellow
bars. Attains 50 cm. Tropical Indo-Pacific from Delagoa
Bay to Hawaii.
Fusiliers
Family No. 182: CAESIONIDAE
by M.M. Smith
Piesangvisse
Body rounded, fusiform, rather elongate; mouth small
with a row of fine teeth in front of a band of minute teeth (no
teeth in Dipterygonotus); upper jaw highly protrusible;
palate usually edentate; 1 or 2 distinct bony processes on
premaxilla, sliding beneath maxilla, clearly visible inside
the mouth; scales feebly ctenoid; caudal fin forked.
Tropical planktivorous fishes, usually associated with
coral reefs, previously included in the Lutjanidae. Four
genera occur in the Indo-West Pacific: Gymnocaesio
Bleeker, 1876 (9 dorsal spines) with 2 species, Dipterygonotus Bleeker, 1849 (13-15 dorsal spines) with 2
species, and Caesio and Pterocaesio (10-12 dorsal spines)
with about 20 species. The latter 2 genera contain most of
the species in this family and differ from the first 2 genera in
having the dorsal and anal fins scaly.
Nine species (1 Gymnocaesio, 5 Pterocaesio and 3 Caesio
spp.) are common in the tropical western Indian Ocean;
although only 3 species in 2 genera have been recorded from
our area, all 9 are illustrated on Plate 57 to aid identification
should they be found here.
KEY TO GENERA
1a Premaxilla with 1 post-maxillary process; C
uniform or with black band along each lobe . .. .. . . . .. .. .. . .. . ... Caesio
1b Premaxilla with 2 post-maxillary processes; C
lobes with black tips ... .. ... .. . .. ... ..... .... . .. .. ..... .. . .. .. ... Pterocaesio
Genus Caesio Lacepetie, 1801
KEY TO SPECIES
1a C uniform yellow in life with pink hind margin;
no median lateral golden band ..................................... C. teres
182: CAESIONIDAE (FUSILIERS)
1b C with a black band along each lobe; a dark
spot at upper P axil .......................................... C. caerulaureus
182.1 Caesio caerulaureus
Lacepede, 1801
PLATE S7
Blue-and-gold fusilier
Blou-en-goue piesangvis
Caesio caerulaureus Lacepede, 1801: 85 (Moluccas); Smith, SFSA No.
687*.
D X,14-15; A III, 11-13; P 18-22; GR (8-9)+(22-25); LL (48-56)+(4-7).
Depth 3.0-3.6, head 2.8-3.6; more or less single row of small conical teeth
in jaws; palatine teeth minute or absent. Preopercle with broad lobe and
margin with concealed serrae.
Preserved: brown above, light below; dark median broad
band along each C lobe; dusky triangular blotch less than
pupil at upper P base. The only other western Indian Ocean
form with these 2 characteristic markings is Pterocaesio tile
(Cuvier, 1830), which has D X,21-22. Attains about 30 cm.
Widespread in Indo-Pacific, south to Port Alfred. These
fishes swim in large shoals between the reefs, and suddenly
the diver will find himself in the midst of a whirling flock
reminiscent of being caught in a swarm of locusts, only the
fish never bump into the diver.
182.2 Caesio teres
Seale, 1906
PLATES7
Beautiful fusilier
Pragtige piesang
Caesio teres Seale, 1906: 44, Fig. 13 (Solomon Ids.). Caesio pulcherrimus Smith & Smith, 1963: 29, PI. 95 E (Assumption Ids.); Smith, 1963:
36; Smith, 1980: 180.
D X,15; A III,12; P 22; GR (10-11)+(24-26) = 35-37; LL 55-58. Depth
3.4-3.6, head 3.8-4; eye 1.0-1.3 in interorbital, slightly less than snout.
Yellow of back always ends close to predorsal, leaving
nape and top of head blue. In preserved specimens D is
always dusky. Attains 30 cm. One of the loveliest and most
shapely of fishes, swims in small shoals. Seychelles and
Kenya to Sodwana Bay.
Genus Pterocaesio Bleeker, 1876
Several species, 1 in our area.
182.3 Pterocaesio capricornis
(Smith & Smith, 1963)
PLATES7
Southern fusilier
Suidelike piesang
Caesio capricorn is Smith & Smith, 1963: 29, PI. 94E (Pinda, Mozambique); Smith, 1963: 37.
D X,15; A III,12; P 20; GR 8+(26-27); LL 67-70. Depth 4, head 3.4;
eye 1.0-1.1 in interorbital, 1.1-1.2 in snout.
579