Unusual landing of the mottled fusilier
Dipterygonotus balteatus was observed along
the northern coast of Tamil Nadu during July and
September 2006. Mottled fusiliers belong to the
percoid family Caesionidae. While the juveniles are
known to school together with other caesionids on
coral reefs, the adults are usually distributed in near
shore pelagic waters. D. balteatus occurs in Indo-
Pacific waters, from East Africa, off Lakshadweep,
Sri Lanka, Indonesia, to Philippines, Indo-China and
northern Australia
