Marr's fusilier (Pterocaesio marri)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Pterocaesio marri · Authority: Schultz, 1953 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 213661.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Pterocaesio kohleri Schultz, 1953; Pterocasesio marri Schultz, 1953.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213661 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 35 cm · Depth range: 1–30 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 25 of 100 · Fishery importance: minor commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Ranges widely around coral reefs (Ref. 58652) and appears to prefer clear waters of oceanic islands or reefs far from large land masses. Feeds on zooplankton in midwater aggregations. Oviparous, with numerous, small pelagic eggs (Ref. 402). Also caught by drive-in nets. Used as tuna baitfish.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 935) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Pterocaesio-marri.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

989 georeferenced occurrence records for Pterocaesio marri are published through GBIF from 37 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 183 distinct locations from a sample of 989 records, omitting 18 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 (295); Japan (107); New Caledonia (98); American Samoa (95); Solomon Islands (41); Mayotte (41); Northern Mariana Islands (40); United States Minor Outlying Islands (37); Marshall Islands (27); Philippines (24); South Africa (23); Réunion (22); French Polynesia (20); Fiji (17); Seychelles (15).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Mozambican Exclusive Economic Zone; Kenyan Exclusive Economic Zone; Tanzanian Exclusive Economic Zone; Madagascar; Somali Exclusive Economic Zone; Seychellois Exclusive Economic Zone; Mauritian Exclusive Economic Zone; Réunion Exclusive Economic Zone; Comoran Exclusive Economic Zone; Chagos.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2374765) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2374765&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213661 (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 Pterocaesio marri Schultz, 1953 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 20252738) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/20252738/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2374765) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2374765/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Pterocaesio marri was first formally described in 1953 by the American ichthyologist Leonard Peter Schultz with the type localities given as a lagoon a quarter mile off Amen Island in Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. In his 1987 review of the Caesionidae, Kent E. Carpenter placed this species within the subgenus Squamosicaesio, of which it is the type species. The specific name honours John C. Marr of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who had oversight of the commercial fisheries at Bikini Atoll.

Pterocaesio marri has a fusiform and elongated body which is moderately laterally compressed. There are small conical teeth in the jaws but none on the vomer and palatines. The dorsal fin contains 10-11 spines and 14-16 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 11-13 soft rays. There are scales on both the dorsal and anal fins. There are 2-24 rays in the pectoral fins. This species attains a maximum total length of 35 cm. The overall colour is blue with dark tips to the lobes of the caudal fin and two thin yellow to brownish stripes along the flanks, the lowest stripe largely running along the lateral line.

Pterocaesio marri has a wide range in the Indo-West Pacific. It is occurs along the coast of East Africa from Somalia south to South Africa, although it is absent from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. It is found east across the Indian Ocean into the Pacific Ocean as far east as the Marquesas Islands. It has also been recorded in New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga and south to the northern Great Barrier Reef of Queensland and the reefs in the Coral Sea, as well as Christmas Island. This species occurs at depths between 1 and 35 m on reefs and around oceanic islands.

Pterocaesio marri forms schools in midwater which forage for zooplankton. They are oviparous laying large numbers of small pelagic eggs.

Pterocaesio marri is subject to heavy fishing pressures in parts of its range, such as the Philippines. Fishers use drive-in nets in western Palawan but it is also taken using gill nets and fish traps in other parts of its range. It is sometimes used by the Indian Ocean and West Pacific tuna fisheries as bait.

Pterocaesio marri is often served as fried fish in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

Source: Wikipedia: Pterocaesio marri — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterocaesio_marri (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.