The double-lined fusilier (''Pterocaesio digramma''), also known as the double stripe fusilier or blacktipped fusilier, is a species of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

, a fusilier belonging to the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Caesionidae. It is widespread around reefs in the

Indo-West Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the s ...

region.

Taxonomy

The double-lined fusilier was first formally described as ''Caesio digramma'' in 1865 by the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

ichthyologist Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish (Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 35,800 species of fish had been described as of March 2 ...

Pieter Bleeker Pieter Bleeker (10 July 1819 – 24 January 1878) was a Dutch medical doctor, Ichthyology, ichthyologist, and Herpetology, herpetologist. He was famous for the ''Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néêrlandaises'', his monumental work on ...

with the type locality given as

Ambon Island Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories: the city of Ambon, Maluku, Ambon to the south, and three districts (''k ...

in Indonesia. In his 1987 review of the Caesionidae,

Kent E. Carpenter Dr. Kent E. Carpenter is a professor of biological sciences at Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, Virginia, who is notable for having two fish species named in his honor, ''Paracheilinus carpenteri'' Randall and Lubbock 1981, popularly known as "C ...

placed this species within the

subgenus In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...

''Pisinnicaesio''. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''digramma'' means 'two lined', a reference to the two yellow stripes on each side of the body, one on its back and one on its flanks.

Description

The double-lined fusilier has a

fusiform Fusiform (from Latin ''fusus'' ‘spindle’) means having a spindle (textiles), spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends. It is similar to the lemon (geometry), lemon-shape, but often implies a focal broadening of a ...

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 A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

contains 10 spines and 14–16 soft rays while the

anal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported o ...

has three spines and 11–12 soft rays. There are scales on both the dorsal and anal fins. There are 20–22 rays in the

pectoral fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish aquatic locomotion, swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the vertebral column ...

s. This species attains a maximum

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies, for data used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fishery biology. Overall length Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish measured f ...

of . The overall colour is bluish-green lightening towards the lower body. There are a pair of slender yellow stripes along the back and middle of the flank. The

caudal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...

lobes have dark tips. The more ventral yellow stripe is mainly underneath the

lateral line The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelia ...

, apart from the portion on the

caudal peduncle Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...

Distribution and habitat

The double-lined fusilier is found in the Western Pacific Ocean where it occurs from Indonesia,

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

and

New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...

to southern Japan. It has also been recorded off

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island ( , ; ) is an States and territories of Australia, external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head, New South Wales, Evans Head and a ...

and in Tonga. The record from

Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...

is probably a mis-identified ''

Pterocaesio marri ''Pterocaesio marri'', Marr's fusilier, bigtail fusilier, blacktip fusilier, bananafish or twinstripe fusilier is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a fusilier belonging to the Family (biology), family Caesionidae. It is widespread around reefs ...

''. It occurs in coastal waters at depths down to , mainly around coral reefs.

Biology

Double-lined fusiliers feed on

zooplankton Zooplankton are the heterotrophic component of the planktonic community (the " zoo-" prefix comes from ), having to consume other organisms to thrive. Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents. Consequent ...

in midwater where they gather in large

schools A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of ...

. They are oviparous, laying many small pelagic eggs. Spawning takes place close to sunset when the spawning fish break away from the school, usually followed by "sneaker" males. A male selects a female and starts to push at and nip at her belly before pushing her and then the pair start to swim in half circles around each other. This is when up to 15 sneaker males join in as it is now that the initial pair release eggs and sperm while belly-to-belly at the surface. The sneakers closest to the pair also release their sperm at this point; the pair and the sneakers then return to the school.

Fisheries

The double-lined fusilier is subjected to heavy fishing pressure in many parts of its range. They are caught using

drive-in net A fishing net or fish net is a net used for fishing. Fishing nets work by serving as an improvised fish trap, and some are indeed rigged as traps (e.g. fyke nets). They are usually wide open when deployed (e.g. by casting or trawling), and ...

gill net Gillnetting is a fishing method that uses gillnets: vertical panels of netting that hang from a line with regularly spaced floaters that hold the line on the surface of the water. The floats are sometimes called "corks" and the line with corks is ...

s and

fish traps A fish trap is a trap used for catching fish and other aquatic animals of value. Fish traps include fishing weirs, cage traps, fish wheels and some fishing net rigs such as fyke nets. The use of traps are culturally almost universal arou ...

, as well as by illegal

blast fishing Blast fishing, fish bombing, dynamite fishing or grenade fishing is a destructive fishing practice using explosives to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection. This often illegal practice is extremely destructive to the surrounding eco ...

. It can be an important food fish, being popular in the Philippines. The landings are sold fresh or preserved as

salt fish Salted fish, such as Kipper, kippered herring or dried and salted cod, is fish curing (food preservation), cured with dry Salt#Edible salt, salt and thus food preservation, preserved for later eating. Drying (food), Drying or Salting (food), salt ...

Culinary uses

The double-lined fusilier and other fusilier species are commonly eaten in Japan, where they are known as . Known as in Okinawan, sometimes rendered in English as "banana fish", it is the prefectural fish of

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

and particularly common in

Okinawan cuisine is the cuisine of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The cuisine is also known as , a reference to the Ryukyu Kingdom. Due to differences in culture, historical contact between other regions, climate, vegetables and other ingredients, Okinawan cuisine ...

, mostly commonly served deep-fried as ''

kara-age is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese cooking technique in which various foods—most often Chicken as food, chicken, but also other meat and fish—are deep fried in oil. The process involves lightly coating small pieces of meat or fish with a combi ...

''.

Notes

References

* Carpenter K.E. (1988)

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition ...

Species Catalogue
Vol 8: Fusilier fishes of the world''
Unipub. . {{Taxonbar, from=Q5261389 Double-lined fusilier Fish described in 1865