Longray Weed Whiting, Siphonognathus radiatus (Quoy & Gaimard 1834)

Other Names: Bridled Rock Whiting, Bridled Weed Whiting, Longray Rock Whiting, Long-ray Weed Whiting, Long-ray Weed-whiting, Long-rayed Rock Whiting, Long-rayed Weed Whiting, Stranger

Summary:

A slender weed whiting with a comparatively short snout and relatively deep caudal peduncle. Males are dark green above, paler below, with narrow blue lines on the head, narrow blue stripes on the vertical fins, a series of black blotches on the dorsal-fin base, and yellow pelvic fins. Mature males have a filamentous first dorsal fin ray that is noticeably longer than the following finrays.

Juveniles and females are greenish-grey, brown or reddish above, pale below, with a pearly stripe along the head and side, and brown stripe above it on head, and darker irregular brown bands and blotches in larger fish.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F. 2018, Siphonognathus radiatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 19 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/305

Longray Weed Whiting, Siphonognathus radiatus (Quoy & Gaimard 1834)

More Info

Distribution	Endemic to southern Australia from Port Phillip, Victoria, to Green Head, Western Australia, including Flinders Island and northern Tasmania. Inhabits coastal seagrass beds and weedy areas usually at depths above 10 m. In Western Australia, the Longray Weed Whiting is usually found amongst Posidonia sinuosa, P. coriacea and Amphibolis griffithii.
Features	Dorsal fin XVII- XX, 11-13; Anal fin III, 9-11; Caudal fin 12-14; Pectoral fin 12-14; Pelvic fin I, 4; Lateral-line scales 38-42. Body shallow (13-15% SL), elongate, compressed; caudal peduncle moderately shallow (caudal peduncle depth 43-60% caudal peduncle length). Head moderately elongate (27-36% SL), snout moderately elongate (27-54% HL), pointed; eyes small (17-24% HL); mouth small (upper jaw length 18-28% HL), horizontal, reaching just more than half way to front edge of eye; teeth mostly fused into pavement like beak. Scales moderately small, cycloid, covering body and much of head including most of opercle and cheek, predorsal scales reaching forward to, or in advance of, forward edge of eye; lateral line nearly straight, but with low dorsal curve above pectoral fin. Single dorsal fin with long base and uniform height except in males with front end produced into peak; anal fin just more than one third length of dorsal, of uniform height; caudal fin pointed. Pectoral fins rounded. Pelvic fins small, first ray prolonged in males, arising slightly behind and below pectoral fin base.
Colour	Juveniles and females greenish grey, brown or red above, whitish below, with pearly stripe along head and side, and brown stripe above it on head; larger individuals with dark, usually brown irregular bands and blotches. Males dark green above, light green below, an abrupt separation midlaterally; head and sides with narrow blue horizontal lines; dorsal, anal and caudal fins green to yellow with narrow blue lines, dorsal with series of prominent black blotches near center of base edged with blue and bordered by orange and black stripes; ventral fin yellow with brown streaks.
Feeding	Feeds mostly on crustaceans and molluscs, includsing gammarid and caprellid amphipods, harpacticoid copepods, carid decapods, tanaids and mytilid bivalves.
Remarks	Occasionally taken as bycatch in trawls.
Similar Species	The Longray Weed Whiting has fewer total scales in the lateral line than the Blue Weed Whiting, Haletta semifasciata (42-44, versus 50-65), and mature males have a filamentous first dorsal finray that is noticeably longer than subsequent rays rather than distinctly shorter (as in the Blue Weed Whiting).
Species Citation	Malacanthus radiatus Quoy & Gaimard 1834. Voyage l'Astrolabe ... 1826–1829, Zoologie 9(3): 717, pl. 19 (2). Type locality: Adelaide, South Australia (neotype).
Author	Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F. 2018
Resources	Australian Faunal Directory

Longray Weed Whiting, Siphonognathus radiatus (Quoy & Gaimard 1834)

References

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