Suez fusilier

Appearance

''Caesio suevica'' has a moderately slender, fusiform and laterally compressed body. The jaws, vomer and palatines have small conical teeth. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 14-15 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 12 soft rays. This species can reach a maximum total length of 35 cm . These fishes are light silver blue, with fine gray stripes. The back shows a yellow line starting at the base of the dorsal fin. Ventrally they are paler. The tip of each caudal-fin lobe has a black blotch bordered by a white band.

Distribution

''Caesio suevica'' is endemic to the Red Sea records from elsewhere in the Indian Ocean are probably misidentifications. The Suez fusilier inhabits coastal areas, especially on coral reefs, at a depth from 2 to 25 m.

Behavior

''Caesio suevica'' form large midwater aggregations. They are oviparous. Females lay many, small pelagic eggs. They mainly feed on zooplankton, mostly ctenophores and scyphozans.

Habitat

''Caesio suevica'' is endemic to the Red Sea records from elsewhere in the Indian Ocean are probably misidentifications. The Suez fusilier inhabits coastal areas, especially on coral reefs, at a depth from 2 to 25 m.