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
Similar species:
Slender Weed Whiting
  • Author(s)
    Mark McGrouther
  • Updated
    06/05/22
  • Read time
    2 minutes
Pencil Weed Whiting, <i>Siphonognathus beddomei</i> Click to enlarge image
Female Pencil Weed Whiting at Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia, 2009. Image: 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.

Pencil Weed Whiting, Siphonognathus beddomei
Pencil Weed Whiting, Siphonognathus beddomei
Pencil Weed Whiting

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.

Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia

References

  1. 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.
  2. 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.