have stripes on the flanks, some species have black markings on their tails but in all species the axil of the pectoral fins is black. Distribution and habitat Caesionidae are found in the Indo-Pacific region. Fusiliers are mainly fishes of coral reefs and occur from close to the surface down as far as . Biology Caesionidae are schooling fish, often in mixed species aggregations with other fusiliers. The extensible upper jaws.are adapted for picking zooplankton. Fusiliers are diurnal, they spend the day feeding in large aggregations in middle of the water column over reefs, along steep outer reef slopes and around pinnacles in deep water in lagoons. They are active swimmers but often pause to feeds or to visit the stations of cleaner fish. They shelter in the reef during the night. Fisheries Caesionidae fishes are highly important species for coral reef fisheries, these fisheries use drive-in nets to catch fusiliers. Typically they are sold as fresh fish but they may also be fermented to make fish paste. They are also caught by tuna fishers for use as bait. Timeline References Carpenter, K.E. (1987) "Revision of the Indo-Pacific fish family Caesionidae (Lutjanoidea), with descriptions of five new species." Indo-Pacific Fishes (15):56 Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte Perciformes families