Blue and gold fusilier (Caesio caerulaurea)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Eupercaria incertae sedis · Family: Caesionidae · Genus: Caesio.

Accepted name: Caesio caerulaurea · Authority: Lacepède, 1801 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 219995.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Caesio azuraureus Rüppell, 1830; Caesio caerulaureus Lacepède, 1801; Caesio cearulaurea Lacepède, 1801; Caesio coerulaureus Lacepède, 1801; Caesio maculatus Cuvier, 1830; Caesio nori Montrouzier, 1857; Smaris mauritianus Quoy & Gaimard, 1824.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219995 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Caesio caerulaurea. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 45.400001525878906 cm · Common length: 25 cm · Depth range: 1–60 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 40.2 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Adults are found in schools in deep lagoons and along seaward reefs in coastal areas (Ref. 9710), mixing with other species of fusiliers (Ref. 48636). Juveniles are used as tuna bait fish. They are oviparous, with small pelagic eggs (Ref. 402). Maximum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 918) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Caesio-caerulaurea.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

3,681 georeferenced occurrence records for Caesio caerulaurea are published through GBIF from 52 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 351 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 47 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Australia (1,089); Marshall Islands (337); Indonesia (325); New Caledonia (247); Solomon Islands (213).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2374779) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2374779&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219995 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Caesio caerulaurea Lacepède, 1801 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 155097) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/155097/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2374779) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2374779/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Caesio caerulaurea was first formally described in 1801 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède with the type locality given as Molucca in Indonesia. Lacépède used the name Caesio caerulaureus, although this was later corrected to C. caetulaurea as Caesio is feminine, creating a new genus. In 1876 the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker designated C. caerulaurea as the type species of the genus Caesio. The specific name caerluaurea is a derived from caeruleaus meaning "sky blue" and aureus which means "golden", a reference to the blue back and yellow flank stripe Lacépède described.

Caesio caeruaurea has a quite deep, fusiform, elongated body which shows moderate lateral compression. There are small conical teeth in the jaws as well as on the vomer and the palatine. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 14–16 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 10–12 soft rays. The dorsal and anal fins have scales. This species attains a maximum total length of 35 cm, although 25 cm is more typical. The overall colour of this fusilier is bluish fusilier changing to white on the underside. There is a yellow or golden stripe over the lateral line bordered on both sides by a thin white to pale blue stripe which continues as blackish streaks on both lobes of the forked caudal fin, creating the appearance of scissors.

Caesio caerulaurea has a wide distribution in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. It is found along the eastern coast of Africa from the Red Sea as far south as South Africa then east along through the Indian Ocean, although it is absent from the Persian Gulf into the Pacific. In the Pacific Ocean their range extends east as far as French Polynesia, northwards to southern Japan and south as far as Vanuatu and New Caledonia. In Australia it is found from Shark Bay in Western Australia north to Cassini Island, the 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 occurs at depths between 2 and 40 m. This species occurs on coastal, lagoon and seaward reefs, typically where there is a healthy growth of corals.

Caesio caerulaurea forms large schools in midwater where they feed on zooplankton. They attain sexual maturity quite early, have a high fecundity with numerous small pelagic eggs. Spawning takes place during most of the year, and occurs as mass spawning on lunar cycles.

Caesio caerulaurea has a definite pattern of courtship with six distinct patterns. Firstly as the dusk approaches 1–2 males approach a female and start to nip and butt her abdomen, which is swollen. This takes place 60–90 minutes ahead of spawning. The fish then interrupt this behaviour and return to their shoals. Less than 60 minutes prior to actual spawning 2–6 males will compete to get their abdomen as close to the female's as they can. Once a male has excluded the other males the pair swim upwards in a spiral to the surface where the eggs and milt are released. This is followed by other "sneaker" males who release their own milt at the spot where the original pair spawned. Sometimes a pair can avoid being followed by "sneaker" males.

Caesio caerulaurea is an important quarry for coastal fisheries, and is frequently recorded in fish markets in Indonesia and the Philippines. They are caught using drive-in nets, gill nets, fish traps, trawls and handlines. The juveniles are used as tuna baitfish in some areas. It is normally caught as part of a multispecies catches of fusiliers. There is also illegal fishing of this species using blasts from explosives thrown in the sea.

Source: Wikipedia: Caesio caerulaurea — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesio_caerulaurea (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.