Description:

 Dorsal spines: 10; Dorsal rays: 14-15; Anal spines: 3; Anal rays: 11-12.

Head and body yellow dorsally mid portion of flank blue and white below. Tail fin yellow. Pectoral fin axil black. At night the fish is mostly reddish.

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 40cm TL.
 

Reef associated, inhabits deep lagoons and seaward reefs (depth 0-50m). Lives in groups. Feeds on zooplankton in large midwater aggregations often with other caesionid species.

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the mackerel net fishery, but is not a particularly abundant or common component of the catch.

Carpenter, K.E. et al. (2016). Caesio xanthonota. The IUCN Red List 2016: e.T20250214A65927053. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T20250214A65927053.en. (02/12/18).
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. Eds. (2018). FishBase  http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Caesio-xanthonota (02/12/18)
Heemstra P & Heemstra, E. (2004). Coastal Fishes of Southern Africa. NISC SAIAB. ISBN: 1-920033-01-7.
 

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Caesio xanthonota, Yellowback fusilier. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/caesio-xanthonota-bleeker-1853/ (edited 20/06/22).