About Caesio caerulaurea Lacepède, 1801
Caesio caerulaurea has a quite deep, fusiform, elongated body with moderate lateral compression. It has small conical teeth in the jaws, as well as on the vomer and the palatine. Its dorsal fin has 10 spines and 14–16 soft rays, while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 10–12 soft rays. Both the dorsal and anal fins have scales. This species reaches a maximum total length of 35 cm (14 in), with 25 cm (9.8 in) being the more typical size. The overall body color of this fusilier is blue, fading to white on the underside. It has a yellow or golden stripe running along the lateral line, which is bordered on both sides by a thin white to pale blue stripe. This marking continues as blackish streaks on both lobes of the forked caudal fin, creating the appearance of a pair of scissors. This species has a wide distribution across the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. It can be found along the eastern coast of Africa, from the Red Sea south to South Africa, and extends east through the Indian Ocean, though it is not present in the Persian Gulf. In the Pacific Ocean, its range reaches east to French Polynesia, north to southern Japan, and south to Vanuatu and New Caledonia. In Australia, it is found from Shark Bay in Western Australia north to Cassini Island, at Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, and from the northern Great Barrier Reef off Queensland south to Sydney. It also occurs at Christmas Island and Lord Howe Island. It lives at depths between 2 and 40 m (6 ft 7 in and 131 ft 3 in), and inhabits coastal reefs, lagoon reefs, and seaward reefs, typically areas with healthy coral growth.
