Yellowtail Fusilier

Caesio cuning 

Habitat & Distribution :  Indo-West Pacific 

Diet : Zooplankton

Size : 60 cm 

Lifespan : 5-10 years

Description

A strikingly colored, torpedo-shaped fish. Its appearance is characterized by a bright yellow tail and a contrasting, usually silvery-blue or greyish-blue, body. 

Behavior

They are constantly active in the midwater column, feeding on zooplankton, and use tight, coordinated schooling movements to evade predators, acting like an underwater "flash mob" 

Reproduction

They are oviparous, pelagic spawners that release numerous small, buoyant eggs into the water column, often peaking around the new moon or last quarter moon  

Communication & Perception

They communicate and coordinate primarily through highly social, schooling behaviors, relying on visual cues rather than vocalizations to maintain group cohesion. 

Predator(s)

Sharks, trevally, snappers, groupers, other large predatory fish