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School whiting (Sillago robusta) — Sillaginidae

School whiting

Sillago robusta
Family: Sillaginidae

The School whiting (Sillago robusta) is a saltwater fish of the family Sillaginidae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
10.0–70.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The stout whiting is a sand whiting (Sillaginidae) from the waters around Australia. The species reaches about 30 cm and has a slender, silvery, sand-coloured body. It occurs in bays and estuaries, but more often in deeper water further offshore, on sand bottoms. Juveniles feed mainly on small crustaceans such as copepods and mysids; larger individuals take more worms and larger prey. When threatened the species quickly burrows into the sand. It is landed as bycatch in trawl fisheries, but is of modest culinary value.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the School whiting?

The School whiting has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the School whiting live?

The School whiting lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the School whiting get?

The School whiting grows to a maximum of about 30 cm. On average the species is around 20 cm.

Is the School whiting dangerous to humans?

No, the School whiting is harmless to humans.

Is the School whiting edible?

The School whiting is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Stevige zandspiering sourced
English name
School whiting verified
Scientific name
Sillago robusta
Family
Sillaginidae
Other names
Stout sillago; Stout whiting; Yellow cheek whiting verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.0 verified
Average length (cm)
20.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
10.0 verified
Max depth (m)
70.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Sillago

More from the family Sillaginidae

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