Eastern School Whiting, Sillago flindersi McKay 1985
Other Names: Flinders' Sillago, Red Spot Whiting, School Whiting, Silver Whiting, Spotted Whiting, Transparent Whiting
An Eastern School Whiting, Sillago flindersi, at Maroubra, Sydney, New South Wales, March 2025. Source: Hugh Chan / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial
Summary:
A sandy-brown to pinkish whiting, becoming white below, with a series of oblique rusty-red to orange-brown bands along the back and upper side, and an indistinct silver midlateral stripe bordered above by small rusty-red blotches. The species lacks a dark spot at the pectoral-fin base.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2025, Sillago flindersi in Fishes of Australia, accessed 24 May 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/3701
Eastern School Whiting, Sillago flindersi McKay 1985
More Info
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Distribution |
Southern Queensland to the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, including eastern Tasmania. Inhabits coastal lakes, estuaries, and outer reefs at depths to 170 m. Juveniles often occur in bays over deeper muddy and sandy areas, while adults prefer sandy substrates from the surf zone to deeper offshore areas. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin XI; I, 16-18; Anal fin II, 18-20; Pectoral fin 15-16; Pelvic fin I, 5; Caudal fin 17; Lateral line scales 65-69. Body elongate, slightly compressed, shallow (20-23% SL). Head of moderate size (25-30% SL); eyes of moderate size (20-25% HL); mouth small, somewhat horseshoe-shaped; jaws with fine teeth. Head and body, except snout, interorbital space and chin, covered with moderately small ctenoid scales, cheek scales in three rows; lateral line arching slightly over pectoral fins. Two moderately low dorsal fins, just separated at bases, first with weak spines, second twice length of first; anal fin long, similar to and opposite second dorsal fin; caudal fin forked. Pelvic fins small, arising below pectoral-fin base. |
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Colour |
Sandy brown to pink above, whitish below, the two areas separated by indistinct silver band extending from head to tail; back and upper sides with indistinct brown or rust-coloured narrow oblique stripes formed of contiguous brown or rust-coloured spots; dorsal fin with scattered rust-red spots; pelvic and anal fins white. |
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Feeding |
Feeds mostly on crustaceans, molluscs and polychaete worms. Juveniles mostly consume small crustaceans. |
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Biology |
Spawns multiple times per season in estuaries and shallow coastal waters. In southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, the species spawns during winter. Further south spawning occurs between October and March in eastern Bass Strait, and in late summer in Tasmania. |
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Fisheries |
This excellent eating fish is commercially important in south-eastern Australia. |
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Similar Species |
Although similar in coloration to the Southern School Whiting, Sillago bassensis, the oblique bars in S. flindersi are wider, more regular and lack the appearance of effused dots or spots. S. bassensis also lacks midlateral blotches.. |
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Etymology |
The species is named in honour of Lieutenant Matthew Flinders, who circumnavigated Australia. |
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Species Citation |
Sillago (Parasillago) bassensis flindersi McKay 1985, Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 22(1): 29, figs 9I-L, 14K, 15. Type locality: Sydney fish market, consigned from Wallis Lake, New South Wales. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2025 |
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Resources |
Eastern School Whiting, Sillago flindersi McKay 1985
References
Burchmore, J.J., Pollard, D., Middleton, M.J., Bell, J.D. & Pease, B.C. 1988. Biology of four species of whiting (Pisces: Sillaginidae) in Botany Bay, New South Wales. Marine and Freshwater Research 39. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF9880709
Dixon, P.I., Crozier, R.H., Black, M. & Church, A. 1987. Stock identification and discrimination of commercially important whitings in Australian waters using genetic criteria (FIRTA 83/16). Centre for Marine Science, University of New South Wales. 69 pp.
Edgar, G.J. 2008. Australian Marine Life: the plants and animals of temperate waters. Sydney : Reed New Holland 2nd edn, 624 pp.
Gomon, M.F. 2008. Families Epigonidae, Howellidae and Sillaginidae. pp. 561-569 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.
Gray C.A., Barnes L.M., van der Meulen D.E., Kendall B.W., Ochwada-Doyle F.A. & Robbins W.D. 2014. Depth interactions and reproductive ecology of sympatric Sillaginidae: Sillago robusta and S. flindersii. Aquatic Biology 21: 127-142 https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00578
Gray, C.A., Barnes, L.M., Ochwada-doyle, F., van der Meulen, D.E., Kendall, B.W. & Robbins, W.D. 2014. Age, growth and demographic characteristics of Sillago flindersi exploited in a multi-species trawl fishery. Fisheries Science 80(5): 915-924. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12562-014-0793-z
Hobday, D.K. & Wankowski, J.W.J. 1986. Age determination of school whiting. Internal Report No. 130, Victorian Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands, Fisheries Division, Queenscliff, 21 pp.
Hobday, D.K. & Wankowski, J.W.J. 1987. School whiting Sillago bassensis flindersi: reproduction and fecundity in eastern Bass Strait, Australia. Internal Report No. 153, Victorian Department of Conservation, Forests, and Lands, Fisheries Division, 24 pp.
Hutchins, J.B. & Swainston, R. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete field guide for anglers and divers. Perth : Swainston Publishing 180 pp.
Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3)
Kaga, T. 2013. Phylogenetic systematics of the family Sillaginidae (Percomorpha: order Perciformes). Zootaxa 3642(1): 1-105.
Kailola, P.J., Williams, M.J., Stewart, P.C., Reichelt, R.E., McNee, A. & Grieve, C. 1993. Australian Fisheries Resources. Canberra : Bureau of Resource Sciences and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation 422 pp.
Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of Southeastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp.
McKay, R.J. 1985. A revision of the fishes of the family Sillaginidae. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 22(1): 1-73 figs 1-18 See ref at BHL
McKay, R.J. 1992. FAO Species Catalog. Sillaginid fishes of the world (Family Sillaginidae) an annotated and illustrated catalogue of the Sillago, smelt of the Indo-Pacific whiting species. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 14. 1-87 pp.
Scott, T.D. 1994. Family Sillaginidae. pp. 572-577 figs 507-511 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs.
Wankowski, J.W.J., Williams, S.R. & Hyduke, E.P. 1986. School whiting : population age structure and mortality rates in south-east Australian waters. Internal Report No. 147, Victorian Department of Conservation, Forests, and Lands, Fisheries Division, 25 pp.
Yearsley, G.K., Last, P.R. & Ward, R.D. (eds) 1999. Australian Seafood Handbook. Hobart : CSIRO Marine Research 460 pp.
