Neon Fusilier

The dark banded fusilier has been recorded growing up to a total length of 30 cm (12 in), although a standard length of 21.2 cm (8.3 in) is more typical. It has a fusiform, elongated and compressed body. There are small conical teeth in the jaws and on the vomer and palatines. The dorsal fin contains 10–12 spines and 19–22 soft rays, while the anal fin has three spines and 13 soft rays. There are scales on both the dorsal and anal fins. There are 22–24 rays in the pectoral fins.

The overall colour is brownish with each scale on the back having a white spot creating rows. The lower body is pink to reddish, and there is a wide iridescent blue stripe extending from the snout to the caudal peduncle edged above by a thin black stripe reaching onto the upper lobe of the caudal fin. There is also a black spot on the base of the pectoral fin. They can quickly change colour, darkening to reddish below while shortening the blue stripe. The dorsal fin is pale bluish-green to pinkish and there is a black streak in the lower lobe of the caudal fin, separate from the black lateral stripe which runs onto the upper lobe.

The dark-banded fusilier is widespread in Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to the Tuamoto Islands, southern Japan, Mauritius, and the Austral Islands. In Australian waters it occurs at the Rowley Shoals off Western Australia, Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea and on the far northern Great Barrier Reef, as well as at reefs in the Coral Sea to the Solitary Islands in New South Wales and at Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. This species is a coral-reef associated species. It usually can be found in lagoon and on the reef flats at depths to 60 m (200 ft).