Luzon Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias luzonensis
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 14.5cm
Identification: Male - Peach to pinkish with reddish snout; red to orange band across nape divides into three narrow wavy stripes to tail, wide red margin on tail. Female - Pale peach without distinctive markings.
Hide-out: Outer reef slopes in 20-60m.
Location: West Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines to Fiji. Taiwan to Palau and Great Barrier Reef.

Longfin Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias venttalis
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Male - Lavender with variable amounts of yellow on upper head, back and tail base, yellow fins, except red often in dorsal; random magenta stripes and spots on back; long ventral fins.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Outer reefs in 26-68m.
Location: Pacific - Great Barrier Reef to Pitcaim I. east of French Polynesia, north to Mariana Is. in Micronesia.

Golden Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias aurulentus
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 6cm
Identification: Male - Orangish; pair of bright red stripes with white stripe between on upper body; long 3rd spine of dorsal fin.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Above rubble and boulder areas on outer reef slopes in 40-60m.
Location: Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific.

Dottyback Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias venator
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Male - Reddish orange with yellowish highlights; small dark spots on upper body, yellowish tail borders.
Favourite: Form small groups.
Hide-out: Lark around caves and ledges on steep outer reef slopes in 20-50m.
Location: North Asian Pacific - Philippines to S.W. Japan.

Bicolor Anthias

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias bicolor
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 13cm
Identification: Male - Orange upper body, lavender to pale pink below; long 2nd and 3rd dorsal fin spines with yellow tips. Female - Similar, but spines shorter and lack yellow tips.
Favourite: Form schools.
Hide-out: Ledges and outcroppings of lagoon and outer reefs in 5-68m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Mauritius to Hawaii and Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Red Slender Anthias

Scientific Name: Luzonichthys earlei
Family: Anthias - Serranidae/Anthiinae
Maximum Size: 4.4cm
Identification: Red often with some dark speckling and markings on back; 2 separate dorsal fins and small mouth.
Favourite: Form plankton-feeding aggregations 1-3m above substrate, often mix with other anthias species.
Hide-out: Steep outer reef slopes in 15-205m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - Maldives to Marshall Is. in Micronesia, Hawaii and Line Is. in eastern Central Pacific.

Yellowback Fusilier

Scientific Name: Caesio xanthonota
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: Silvery blue with yellow nape, back and tail.
Favourite: Form large aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Upper edge of steep slopes and around coastal patch reefs and seaward reefs to 30m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - E. Africa to Indonesia.

Yellowtail Fusilier

Scientific Name: Caesio cuning
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 50cm
Identification: Silvery blue to blue-green with yellow forked tail; deeper body than other fusiliers.
Favourite: Form large aggregations.
Hide-out: Upper edge of steep slopes and around coastal patch reefs, often in silty areas with reduced visibility to 30m.
Location: Asian-West Pacific - E. India and Sri Lanka to Vanuatu. S.W. Japan to Palau, N.W. Australia and Great Barrier Reef.

Variable-Lined Fusilier

Scientific Name: Caesio varilineata
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: Silvery blue with 2-6 yellow stripes; black streak near tip of each tail lobe.
Favourite: Form aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Upper edge of steep slopes and around coastal patch reefs and outer reefs in 2-25m.
Location: Indian Ocean - Red Sea and E. Africa to N.W. Sumatra in Indonesia.

Scissortail Fusilier

Scientific Name: Caesio caerulaurea
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Silvery blue; yellow stripe on side from head to tail, dark streak on each lobe of forked tail.
Favourite: Form large aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Upper edge of steep slopes and around coastal patch reefs and seaward reefs to 30m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Samoa. S.W. Japan to Micronesia and Great Barrier Reef.

Lunar Fusilier

Scientific Name: Caesio lunaris
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 40cm
Identification: Silvery blue; black tip on tail lobes, row of black dashes on arching lateral line. Young - Yellow tail with black tips.
Favourite: Form large aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Upper edge of steep slopes, coastal patch and seaward reefs to 30m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Solomon Is. and Fiji. S.W. Japan to Palau and Great Barrier Reef.

Mottled Fusilier

Scientific Name: Dipterygonatus balteatus
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 14cm
Identification: Brownish to bronze back, silvery below; pair of thin dark wavy stripes on back and pale tan stripe below, dark tail tips.
Favourite: Form aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Coastal, lagoons and seaward reefs to 20m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Gulf of Aden and Somalia to Solomon Is. Taiwan to Australia.

Slender Fusilier

Scientific Name: Gymnocaesio gymnoptera
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 18cm
Identification: Bluish green back, silvery pink to reddish below; 2-3 diffuse wavy stripes on back and narrow yellow to brown stripe below, dark tail tips.
Favourite: Form aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Coral reefs in 2-20m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Fiji, north to Philippines.

Threestripe Fusilier

Scientific Name: Pterocaesio trilineata
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 20cm
Identification: Silvery; three yellowish to brownish stripes alternate with three bluish stripes on back; dark tail tips.
Favourite: Form aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Steep slopes, shallow coastal, lagoon and seaward reefs to 30m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Fiji, Line Is. and French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to E. Australia.

Ruddy Fusilier

Scientific Name: Pterocaesio pisang
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 21cm
Identification: Vary from a solid color to combinations of blue to blue-green to silvery red; red to black tail tips, straight thin black lateral line.
Favourite: Form aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Steep slopes and shallow coastal and seaward reefs to 30m.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - E. Africa to reefs offshore N.W. Australia, Philippines and Fiji.

Randall's Fusilier

Scientific Name: Pterocaesio randalli
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Silvery blue to reddish blue or blue-green; large elongate yellow blotch on forebody, black to reddish tail tips.
Favourite: Form aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Steep slopes and coastal, lagoon and seaward reefs to 30m.
Location: East Indo-Asian Pacific - E. Andaman Sea to Molucca Is. in Indonesia and S. Philippines.

Goldband Fusilier

Scientific Name: Pterocaesio chrysozona
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 21cm
Identification: Silvery brownish blue to green back and pale lower body; wide yellow stripe from eye tapers toward tail base, dark tail tips.
Favourite: Form aggregations.
Hide-out: Coastal, lagoons and outer reefs in 2-25m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific - Red Sea and E. Africa to Papua New Guinea. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Bluestreak Fusilier

Scientific Name: Pterocaesio tile
Family: Fusiliers - Caesionidae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Silvery blue; several dark scale row stripes on back, wider dark stripe below, iridescent blue stripe from gill cover to tail, black streak on tail lobes.
Favourite: Form aggregations, often mix with other fusiliers.
Hide-out: Clear water slopes and reefs to 60m.
Location: Indo-Pacific - E. Africa to Rapa I. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to New Caledonia.

Silver Trevally

Scientific Name: Pseudocaranx dentex
Family: Jacks - Carangidae
Maximum Size: 94cm
Identification: Bluish silver with mid-body yellowish stripe to tail and yellowish edge below rear dorsal and anal fins to tail; black spot on rear gill cover.
Favourite: Pairs or form small schools.
Hide-out: Deep bottom feeders to 200m; shallower in cool water.
Location: Pacific - Indonesia to Hawaii, French Polynesia and Easter I.

Slender Silverside

Scientific Name: Hypoatherina barnesi
Family: Silversides - Atherinidae
Maximum Size: 7cm
Identification: Thin body (compare with Robust Silverside); greenish silver; bright narrow stripe from upper eye to tail, broad stripe below running from gill cover to near origin of anal fin.
Favourite: Form large schools.
Hide-out: Lagoons and along shore lines.
Location: Indo-West Pacific - E. Africa to N.E. Australia, Fiji and N. Cook Is.