Eastern school whiting
Encyclopedia
The eastern school whiting, Sillago flindersi (also known as the redspot whiting and the Bass Strait whiting), is a species
of benthic marine
fish
of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae
. The eastern school whiting is endemic to Australia
, distributed along the east coast from southern Queensland
down to Tasmania
and South Australia
, where it inhabits sand
y substrates from shallow tidal flats to depths of 180 m on the continental shelf. Eastern school whiting prey on various crustaceans and polychaete
worms, with the diet varying seasonally and throughout the range of the species. Eastern school whiting reproduce in the deeper waters twice a year, releasing up to 110,000 eggs during a season.
Eastern school whiting are a major commercial
species along the eastern coast of Australia, caught by Danish
seine vessels in the Bass Strait
and as a byproduct of prawn
trawling to the north. This forms a large export market to Japan
, with over 1400 tonnes per year caught and exported.
, which is one of three divisions of the smelt whiting family Sillaginidae
. The smelt-whitings are Perciformes
in the suborder Percoidea
. The eastern school whiting belongs to the subgenus Parasillago, which is one of three subgenera erected during a comprehensive review of the Sillaginidae in 1985 by McKay.
The Eastern school whiting was long thought to be synonymous
with the closely related species Sillago bassensis, the southern school whiting, with this relationship first applied in 1892 by Cohen. It took until 1985 before McKay identified two distinct forms of Sillago bassensis, which he believed to subspecies
, thus erecting Sillago bassensis flindersi for the eastern subspecies and Sillago bassensis bassensis for the western subspecies. These subspecies were formally promoted to separate species
status in 1992, during a second review of the family by McKay after the two species were found to occur sympatrically in Bass Strait. The binomial name of the species was named in honour of the explorer Captain Matthew Flinders
, who circumnavigated and extensively mapped the coastline of Australia.
The various common name
s of the so called 'school whitings' is complicated, with the original use of western and eastern school whiting to describe S. bassensis and S. flindersi affected by the naming of a third species of school whiting; Sillago vittata. This has not affected S. flindersi, which is still named the 'eastern school whiting' in recognition that it inhabits the east coast of Australia
. The local name of 'red-spot whiting' refers to the diagonal
lines of red spots present on the fish's upper side. The rarely used name of 'Bass Straight whiting' refers to ocean
ic strait
between the Victoria
n and Tasmania
n coastlines, where large quantities of the species are taken in trawls.
, with the body covered in small ctenoid scales
extending to the cheek and head. The most reliable features for distinguishing the species are the number of fins spines and rays and the shape of the swim bladder. The first dorsal fin
has 11 spines and the second dorsal fin has 1 leading spine with 16 to 18 soft rays posterior. The anal fin is similar to the second dorsal fin, but has 2 spines with 18 to 20 soft rays posterior to the spines. Other distinguishing features include 69 to 76 lateral line
scales and a total of 32 to 34 vertebrae. The species has a known maximum length of 33 cm.
The swim bladder morphology is nearly identical to that of S. bassensis, shaped by a short, blunt anterior median projection with no posterior projection. Swim bladder morphology is useless for distinguishing between this species and S. bassensis, with the external colour the most reliable method.
The eastern school whiting has a pale sandy colour on top with a silvery white below and an olive brown-pink head with blue and yellow tinges. A series of obliquely positioned rusty brown bars are positioned on the back and upper sides, with a longitudinal
row of rusty brown blotches along the mid-lateral silver stripe. There is no dark spot at the base of the hyaline-yellow pectoral fin. The first, spinous dorsal fin is hyaline with a dusting of red spots, while the second dorsal fin is hyaline and each ray having a sprinkling of 4-5 red spots. The ventral and anal fins are also hyaline, with he anal fin having yellow to orange rays with white margins. The coloration is very similar to S. bassensis but differs in that the oblique bars are wider, more regular and without the appearance of effused dots or spots, as well as lacking the mid-lateral blotches.
of this species is not confidently known, with current sources stating that it ranges from southern Queensland
south to New South Wales
, Victoria
, eastern Tasmania
and possibly westward to South Australia
. Anxious Bay is the western most report of the species, although due to the confusion between the two species this is thought to have been a misidentification of S. bassensis, with S. flindersi not considered to inhabit South Australia by most authorities.
Unlike most other species of sillaginids, the eastern school whiting is primarily an offshore species, inhabiting waters on the continental shelf
down to depths of 180m, rarely seen in shallower waters. The species is known to inhabit surf zone
s and to congregate around coastal lake
s, particularly during February and March. They prefer clean sand
y substrates, rarely occupying silt
y or seagrass
beds and have never been found in estuarine waters. Genetic analysis has shown that migration does not occur in the species, instead they tend to remain in the same area throughout their life cycle.
of eastern school whiting consists mainly of various crustaceans, principally amphipods, decapods, mysidacea
ns and copepod
s. Polychaete
s made up a small proportion of the diet, certainly much less than most co occurring sillaginids. Like many fish species, diet varies significantly with fish size, geographical location and season
. Fish in the 0–10 cm group consume mainly copepods, while 11–20 cm fish ate mainly shrimp
in the Callianassa
genus and amphipods. Many of the food items of the species vary in range, as well as seasonal abundance, therefore having an impact on the diets of different groups of fish.
at around 170 mm in size and 2 years of age, with male
s reaching maturity slightly before female
s. Once at sexual maturity, they move offshore into deeper waters to over 180 m in depth where they remain and spawn
. Females produce between 30 000 and 110 000 eggs per season, which occurs between October and January, with two spawning periods identified in populations occurring in Bass Strait
. The females of the species are reported to live to 7 years of age and males 6 years, reaching a maximum known size of 33 cm.
s and trawls, with recreational
catches generally rare. The exception occurs when large amounts of the species have been taken by angler
s as large schools pass through shallow waters along the coast.
Two major fisheries exist for the species, one in Bass Strait
, the other in Southern Queensland
. The Bass Strait fishery is dominated by Danish
seine vessels which take over 90% of the catch. This fishery has expanded markedly in recent years, with catches prior to 1970 less than 270 tonnes per year, having risen to over 1400 tonnes per year in 1993. The Queensland fishery is relatively new, developed after a population of eastern school whiting was found by trawlers. A number of smaller fisheries are due to bycatch of prawn trawlers along the range of the species. The Queensland and smaller fisheries form the basis of a lucrative export
market whereby whole frozen fish are shipped to Thailand
where they are processed and sent to Japan
. This fishery was worth over 2.5 million Australian dollars in 1986.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of benthic marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae
Sillaginidae
The Sillaginidae, commonly known as the smelt-whitings, whitings, sillaginids, sand borers and sand-smelts, are a family of benthic coastal marine fishes in the order Perciformes. The smelt-whitings inhabit a wide region covering much of the Indo-Pacific, from the west coast of Africa east to Japan...
. The eastern school whiting is endemic to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, distributed along the east coast from southern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
down to Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, where it inhabits sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y substrates from shallow tidal flats to depths of 180 m on the continental shelf. Eastern school whiting prey on various crustaceans and polychaete
Polychaete
The Polychaeta or polychaetes are a class of annelid worms, generally marine. Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are made of chitin. Indeed, polychaetes are sometimes referred to as bristle worms. More than 10,000...
worms, with the diet varying seasonally and throughout the range of the species. Eastern school whiting reproduce in the deeper waters twice a year, releasing up to 110,000 eggs during a season.
Eastern school whiting are a major commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
species along the eastern coast of Australia, caught by Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
seine vessels in the Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
and as a byproduct of prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
trawling to the north. This forms a large export market to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, with over 1400 tonnes per year caught and exported.
Taxonomy and naming
The eastern school whiting is one of 29 species in the genus SillagoSillago
Sillago is one of three genera in the family Sillaginidae containing the smelt-whitings, and contains 29 species, making Sillago the only non-monotypic genus in the family. Distinguishing among Sillago species can be difficult, with many similar in appearance and colour, forcing the use of swim...
, which is one of three divisions of the smelt whiting family Sillaginidae
Sillaginidae
The Sillaginidae, commonly known as the smelt-whitings, whitings, sillaginids, sand borers and sand-smelts, are a family of benthic coastal marine fishes in the order Perciformes. The smelt-whitings inhabit a wide region covering much of the Indo-Pacific, from the west coast of Africa east to Japan...
. The smelt-whitings are Perciformes
Perciformes
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
in the suborder Percoidea
Percoidea
Percoidea is a superfamily of fish of the order Perciformes....
. The eastern school whiting belongs to the subgenus Parasillago, which is one of three subgenera erected during a comprehensive review of the Sillaginidae in 1985 by McKay.
The Eastern school whiting was long thought to be synonymous
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
with the closely related species Sillago bassensis, the southern school whiting, with this relationship first applied in 1892 by Cohen. It took until 1985 before McKay identified two distinct forms of Sillago bassensis, which he believed to subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
, thus erecting Sillago bassensis flindersi for the eastern subspecies and Sillago bassensis bassensis for the western subspecies. These subspecies were formally promoted to separate species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
status in 1992, during a second review of the family by McKay after the two species were found to occur sympatrically in Bass Strait. The binomial name of the species was named in honour of the explorer Captain Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
, who circumnavigated and extensively mapped the coastline of Australia.
The various common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s of the so called 'school whitings' is complicated, with the original use of western and eastern school whiting to describe S. bassensis and S. flindersi affected by the naming of a third species of school whiting; Sillago vittata. This has not affected S. flindersi, which is still named the 'eastern school whiting' in recognition that it inhabits the east coast of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The local name of 'red-spot whiting' refers to the diagonal
Diagonal
A diagonal is a line joining two nonconsecutive vertices of a polygon or polyhedron. Informally, any sloping line is called diagonal. The word "diagonal" derives from the Greek διαγώνιος , from dia- and gonia ; it was used by both Strabo and Euclid to refer to a line connecting two vertices of a...
lines of red spots present on the fish's upper side. The rarely used name of 'Bass Straight whiting' refers to ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
ic strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
between the Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
n coastlines, where large quantities of the species are taken in trawls.
Description
As with most of the genus Sillago, the eastern school whiting has a slightly compressed, elongate body tapering toward the terminal mouthMouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
, with the body covered in small ctenoid scales
Scale (zoology)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
extending to the cheek and head. The most reliable features for distinguishing the species are the number of fins spines and rays and the shape of the swim bladder. The first dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
has 11 spines and the second dorsal fin has 1 leading spine with 16 to 18 soft rays posterior. The anal fin is similar to the second dorsal fin, but has 2 spines with 18 to 20 soft rays posterior to the spines. Other distinguishing features include 69 to 76 lateral line
Lateral line
The lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
scales and a total of 32 to 34 vertebrae. The species has a known maximum length of 33 cm.
The swim bladder morphology is nearly identical to that of S. bassensis, shaped by a short, blunt anterior median projection with no posterior projection. Swim bladder morphology is useless for distinguishing between this species and S. bassensis, with the external colour the most reliable method.
The eastern school whiting has a pale sandy colour on top with a silvery white below and an olive brown-pink head with blue and yellow tinges. A series of obliquely positioned rusty brown bars are positioned on the back and upper sides, with a longitudinal
Anatomical terms of location
Standard anatomical terms of location are designations employed in science that deal with the anatomy of animals to avoid ambiguities that might otherwise arise. They are not language-specific, and thus require no translation...
row of rusty brown blotches along the mid-lateral silver stripe. There is no dark spot at the base of the hyaline-yellow pectoral fin. The first, spinous dorsal fin is hyaline with a dusting of red spots, while the second dorsal fin is hyaline and each ray having a sprinkling of 4-5 red spots. The ventral and anal fins are also hyaline, with he anal fin having yellow to orange rays with white margins. The coloration is very similar to S. bassensis but differs in that the oblique bars are wider, more regular and without the appearance of effused dots or spots, as well as lacking the mid-lateral blotches.
Distribution and habitat
Due to the similarity between the eastern and southern school whitings, the exact rangeRange (biology)
In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found. Within that range, dispersion is variation in local density.The term is often qualified:...
of this species is not confidently known, with current sources stating that it ranges from southern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
south to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, eastern Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and possibly westward to South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Anxious Bay is the western most report of the species, although due to the confusion between the two species this is thought to have been a misidentification of S. bassensis, with S. flindersi not considered to inhabit South Australia by most authorities.
Unlike most other species of sillaginids, the eastern school whiting is primarily an offshore species, inhabiting waters on the continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
down to depths of 180m, rarely seen in shallower waters. The species is known to inhabit surf zone
Surf zone
As ocean surface waves come closer to shore they break, forming the foamy, bubbly surface we call surf. The region of breaking waves defines the surf zone. After breaking in the surf zone, the waves continue to move in, and they run up onto the sloping front of the beach, forming an uprush of...
s and to congregate around coastal lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, particularly during February and March. They prefer clean sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y substrates, rarely occupying silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
y or seagrass
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...
beds and have never been found in estuarine waters. Genetic analysis has shown that migration does not occur in the species, instead they tend to remain in the same area throughout their life cycle.
Diet
The average dietDiet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
of eastern school whiting consists mainly of various crustaceans, principally amphipods, decapods, mysidacea
Mysidacea
Mysida is a group of small, shrimp-like crustaceans, an order in the malacostracan superorder Peracarida. Their common name opossum shrimps stems from the presence of a brood pouch, or marsupium, in females. Mysids are mostly found in marine waters throughout the world, but are also important in...
ns and copepod
Copepod
Copepods are a group of small crustaceans found in the sea and nearly every freshwater habitat. Some species are planktonic , some are benthic , and some continental species may live in limno-terrestrial habitats and other wet terrestrial places, such as swamps, under leaf fall in wet forests,...
s. Polychaete
Polychaete
The Polychaeta or polychaetes are a class of annelid worms, generally marine. Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are made of chitin. Indeed, polychaetes are sometimes referred to as bristle worms. More than 10,000...
s made up a small proportion of the diet, certainly much less than most co occurring sillaginids. Like many fish species, diet varies significantly with fish size, geographical location and season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
. Fish in the 0–10 cm group consume mainly copepods, while 11–20 cm fish ate mainly shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
in the Callianassa
Callianassa (genus)
Callianassa is a genus of mud shrimps, in the family Callianassidae. Three of the species in this genus Callianassa is a genus of mud shrimps, in the family Callianassidae. Three of the species in this genus Callianassa is a genus of mud shrimps, in the family Callianassidae. Three of the species...
genus and amphipods. Many of the food items of the species vary in range, as well as seasonal abundance, therefore having an impact on the diets of different groups of fish.
Life cycle
Both sexes of the eastern school whiting reach sexual maturitySexual maturity
Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct...
at around 170 mm in size and 2 years of age, with male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
s reaching maturity slightly before female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
s. Once at sexual maturity, they move offshore into deeper waters to over 180 m in depth where they remain and spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
. Females produce between 30 000 and 110 000 eggs per season, which occurs between October and January, with two spawning periods identified in populations occurring in Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
. The females of the species are reported to live to 7 years of age and males 6 years, reaching a maximum known size of 33 cm.
Relationship to humans
The eastern school whiting is primarily a target of commercial fishermen operating offshore seineSeine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
s and trawls, with recreational
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
catches generally rare. The exception occurs when large amounts of the species have been taken by angler
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
s as large schools pass through shallow waters along the coast.
Two major fisheries exist for the species, one in Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
, the other in Southern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The Bass Strait fishery is dominated by Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
seine vessels which take over 90% of the catch. This fishery has expanded markedly in recent years, with catches prior to 1970 less than 270 tonnes per year, having risen to over 1400 tonnes per year in 1993. The Queensland fishery is relatively new, developed after a population of eastern school whiting was found by trawlers. A number of smaller fisheries are due to bycatch of prawn trawlers along the range of the species. The Queensland and smaller fisheries form the basis of a lucrative export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
market whereby whole frozen fish are shipped to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
where they are processed and sent to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. This fishery was worth over 2.5 million Australian dollars in 1986.