Rough whiting
Encyclopedia
The rough whiting, Sillago nierstraszi, is a dubious species
of coastal marine
fish
in the smelt-whiting family
Sillaginidae
. The species is known only from the holotype
which was collected in 1941 on the south coast of Papua New Guinea
, but is thought to be lost. S. nierstraszi is currently a valid species, although during his revision of the sillaginids, Roland McKay suggested the species to be a senior synonym of Sillago analis.
Sillago
, which contain 29 other species. It is part of the Sillaginidae
family which is a division of the Percoidei
, a suborder of the Perciformes
.
The species was first described by J. Hardenberg in 1941 in a synopsis of the Fishes of New Guinea
based on the holotype
specimen which was collected from Merauke
on the southern coast of New Guinea. This remains the only specimen ever collected of the fish, and appears to be lost after McKay was unable to locate it during his revision of the family. He furthermore suggested it to be a senior synonym of Sillago analis, due to the two species sharing many characteristics.
profile which tapers toward the small terminal mouth
. The first spinous dorsal fin
has 11 spines and the second dorsal fin has one spine and 17 soft rays. The anal fin has two spines and 17 soft rays. Between the base of first dorsal-fin spine and the lateral line 4 scales, although the amount of lateral line
scales is not known, as is the case with vertebrae numbers, colour, and swim bladder morphology. The holotype has a recorded length of 25 cm.
, thus restricting the known range to this locality. This location is constant with McKay's hypothesis
that the specimen is actually S. analis, which has also been recorded occasionally from lower Papua New Guinea.
Nothing of the biology
or contribution to fisheries of the species is currently known.
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 coastal 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...
in the smelt-whiting family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
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 species is known only from the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
which was collected in 1941 on the south coast of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, but is thought to be lost. S. nierstraszi is currently a valid species, although during his revision of the sillaginids, Roland McKay suggested the species to be a senior synonym of Sillago analis.
Taxonomy and naming
The rough whiting is a member of the genusGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Sillago
Sillago
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 contain 29 other species. It is part of the 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...
family which is a division of the Percoidei
Percoidei
Percoidei is one of eighteen suborders of bony fish in the order Perciformes. Many commercially harvested fish species are contained in this suborder, including the snappers, jacks, whitings, groupers, bass, perches and porgies.-Divisions:...
, a suborder of the 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...
.
The species was first described by J. Hardenberg in 1941 in a synopsis of the Fishes of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
based on the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
specimen which was collected from Merauke
Merauke
Merauke is a town considered to be one of the easternmost towns in Indonesia, located in Merauke Regency, Papua province, Indonesia. It is next to Maro River.In 2006 it had a population of 71,838....
on the southern coast of New Guinea. This remains the only specimen ever collected of the fish, and appears to be lost after McKay was unable to locate it during his revision of the family. He furthermore suggested it to be a senior synonym of Sillago analis, due to the two species sharing many characteristics.
Description
Like all sillaginids, the rough whiting has an elongate compressed bodyBody
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
profile which tapers toward the small terminal mouth
Mouth
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....
. The first spinous 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 one spine and 17 soft rays. The anal fin has two spines and 17 soft rays. Between the base of first dorsal-fin spine and the lateral line 4 scales, although the amount of 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 is not known, as is the case with vertebrae numbers, colour, and swim bladder morphology. The holotype has a recorded length of 25 cm.
Distribution and habitat
The only specimen known to science was collected on the lower coast of Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, thus restricting the known range to this locality. This location is constant with McKay's hypothesis
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
that the specimen is actually S. analis, which has also been recorded occasionally from lower Papua New Guinea.
Nothing of the biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
or contribution to fisheries of the species is currently known.