About Caesio varilineata Carpenter, 1987
Caesio varilineata is a small to medium-sized fish that reaches a maximum total length of around 40 cm (16 in). It has large eyes, and a small, terminal, protrusible mouth that can be extended forward to swallow food. Its body is fusiform, or spindle-shaped, and it has a deeply forked caudal fin. The dorsal fin of this species has 10 spines and 14 to 16 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 11 to 13 soft rays. Its body is colored silver green-blue, with 2 to 6 yellow longitudinal lines that vary in both intensity and width. The outer edges of the caudal fin lobes are lined with black. This species is native exclusively to the Indian Ocean, ranging from western Indonesia to the eastern coast of Africa, and including the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. It inhabits open water close to reefs, as well as external reefs. It has recently been reported in the Mediterranean Sea off Alexandria, Egypt, and it likely entered this region through the Suez Canal. Since there are no coral reefs in the Mediterranean, these fusiliers have probably adapted to use rock reefs covered by Anthozoa.
