Neon Fusilier

Pterocaesio tile

Neon fusilier is a slender reef fish of shallow coral and rocky reefs in the Indo-Pacific. It forms fast-moving schools and feeds mainly on zooplankton in the water column.

Saltwater

Neon Fusilier reference image — Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, cc-by-sa, via Wikimedia Commons. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Identification points

Bright neon-blue to greenish-blue body with a yellow tail and fins
Slender fusilier shape with a pointed snout and deeply forked tail
Schooling reef fish often showing a narrow yellow stripe along the side

Habitat

Clear tropical reef habitats, especially outer reef slopes, drop-offs, and channels above coral or rocky bottoms; usually schooling in midwater over reefs.

Bait notes

Not a common target for bait fishing; if taken incidentally, small pieces of shrimp or fish and tiny plankton-style flies/jigs may draw strikes.

Behavior

A diurnal planktivore that stays in loose to dense schools and moves continuously in the water column, often above reef structure and along current edges.

Caution

Sharp reef habitat can cut hands and tackle; avoid crowding coral, and observe local reef-fishing rules because fusiliers are primarily reef forage fish in many areas.

Fishing notes

Best approached with light tackle and small hooks or micro-jigs around reef edges and current lines; it is more often observed than pursued by anglers and should be released quickly if caught.