Banana fusilier (Pterocaesio pisang)

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 pisang · Authority: (Bleeker, 1853) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 213658.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Caesio pisang Bleeker, 1853.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213658 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 21 cm · Common length: 13.800000190734863 cm · Depth range: 1–100 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 13.6 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Ranges widely around coral reefs (Ref. 58652), sometimes forming schools with other Pterocaesio species. Feeds on zooplankton in midwater aggregations. Oviparous, with numerous, small pelagic eggs (Ref. 402). Also caught mostly by drive-in nets. Important tuna baitfish.

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 936) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Pterocaesio-pisang.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

5,637 georeferenced occurrence records for Pterocaesio pisang are published through GBIF from 32 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 89 distinct locations from a sample of 3,000 records, omitting 16 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: Solomon Islands (4,998); Indonesia (139); Mayotte (110); Philippines (93); Fiji (82).

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

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2374738) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2374738&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=213658 (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 pisang (Bleeker, 1853) 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 20252870) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/20252870/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2374738) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2374738/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Pterocaesio pisang was first formally described as Caesio pisang in 1853 by the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker with the type localities given as Ambon Island and Jakarta in Indonesia. In his 1987 review of the Caesionidae, Kent E. Carpenter placed this species within the subgenus Pisinnicaesio. The specific name pisang is derived from the local name for this species in Jakarta, Ikan Pisang pisang, ikan means "fish" and pisang means "banana,", an apparent reference to the shape of this fish.

Pterocaesio pisang has a fusiform and elongated body which is moderately laterally compressed. There are small conical teeth in the jaws and 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 18–20 rays in the pectoral fins. This species attains a maximum total length of 21 cm. The banana fusilier has a yellowish snout and upper eye, the back and upper flanks are greyish-blue shading to pink on the lower flanks and belly. The tips of the caudal fin lobes are dark red. There are no stripes along its flanks, but there is a clear black lateral line.

Pterocaesio pisang has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution. It is found along the coast of East Africa from southern Somalia to Mozambique, with a seemingly isolated population around Socotra, but it is absent from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. In the Pacific it extends east as far as Fiji, north to the Ryukyu Islands south to Australia where it is found from Scott Reef of Western Australia, the Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea and along the northern Great Barrier Reef as far south as the waters of Tully, Queensland. This species is found at depths between 1 and 100 m but are commonest at depths lower than 30 m. It occurs around coastal, lagoon and seaward reefs.

Pterocaesio pisang forms schools, sometimes joining in mixed species schools with congeners. These schools forage for zooplankton in midwater. It is an oviparous species which spawns by laying large numbers of small pelagic eggs.

Pterocaesio pisang may be subjected to heavy pressure from fishing in some parts of its range, such as the Philippines, but elsewhere it is of much less importance to fisheries. It is used as a fish for human consumption in many parts of its range but it is also caught to be used as bait in other fisheries, such as tuna fisheries.

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

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