Pencil Weed Whiting, Siphonognathus beddomei (Johnston, 1885)
Scientific name: Siphonognathus beddomei
Alternative name/s:
Beddome's Rock Whiting, Long-nose Weed whiting, Pygmy Rock Whiting, Pygmy Whiting, Slender Weed Whiting
Beddome's Rock Whiting, Long-nose Weed whiting, Pygmy Rock Whiting, Pygmy Whiting, Slender Weed Whiting
Similar species:
Slender Weed Whiting
Slender Weed Whiting
Click to enlarge image
Female Pencil Weed Whiting at Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia, 2009.
Image: Sascha Schulz
© Sascha Schulz
© Sascha Schulz
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Siphonognathus
- Species
- beddomei
- Subfamily
- Odacinae
- Family
- Labridae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- The species grows to 14 cm in total length.
Introduction
The Pencil Weed Whiting is a small, slender, green to brown fish with a long snout. The species is endemic to Australia.
Identification
The Pencil Weed Whiting is a small, slender, green to brown fish with a long snout. Females have a white-margined spot on the caudal fin. Males have two blue lines on the sides of the body.
Habitat
The Pencil Weed Whiting occurs in algae-covered rocky reefs in coastal waters at depths between 1 m and 20 m.
Distribution
The species is endemic to Australia, occurring from eastern Victoria and Tasmania to south-western Western Australia.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
References
- Gomon, M.F. & J.R. Paxton. 1985. A revision of the Odacidae, a temperate Australian-New Zealand labroid fish family. Indo-Pacific Fishes. 8: 1-57.
- Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
