Find a Fish
Sand Whiting
Sillago ciliata Cuvier, 1829
Above and below: A Sand Whiting at a depth of 16m, Shiprock, Port Hacking, New South Wales, January 2002. View larger image.
A 40cm long Sand Whiting caught on hook and line by M. Thompson at a depth of 1m in a seagrass bed, North Bay, Lord Howe Island, February 2001. View larger image.
The Sand Whiting has a short-based spiny dorsal fin and a long-based soft dorsal fin. The lateral line is gently curved above the pectoral fin.
This species is silver-grey above and white below. The ventral and anal fins are yellow. There is a dusky spot on the pectoral fin base.
The Sand Whiting grows to 50cm in length.
It is found in bays, estuaries and beyond the breakers off surf beaches. Juveniles live in seagrass beds and are sometimes seen in small aggregations on sandy slopes.
The Sand Whiting is known from northern Queensland to Tasmania, including Lord Howe Island. It also occurs in Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia.
It is an important commercial and recreational species that is sometimes called the Blue-nose Whiting.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R., Hoese, D.F., Paxton, J.R., Randall, J.E., Russell, B.C., Starck, W.A., Talbot, F.H., & G.P. Whitley. 1976. Annotated checklist of the Fishes of Lord Howe Island. Records of the Australian Museum. 30: 365-454.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
