Slender whiting
Encyclopedia
The Slender whiting, Sillago attenuata, is a poorly known species
of inshore marine
fish
of the smelt whiting family, Sillaginidae
that has a distribution limited to the Persian Gulf
only. The Slender whiting, like most sillaginids requires careful study to determine its identity, with ray and vertebrae counts as well as swim bladder morphology distinguishing features. This inshore species of fish is commonly taken by fishermen using beach
seines and is sold fresh in local market
s.
of the genus
Sillago
, which contains 29 other species of whiting. Sillago is one of three divisions of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae
, itself a division of the suborder Percoidei
in the order Perciformes
.
The species was first identified and named Sillago attenuata by McKay in 1985 from the holotype
specimen collected in 1948 from Ras Tanura
, Zaal Island in the Persian Gulf
, with a number of paratype
s also examined. The name of the species is derived from the Latin
'attenuatus', meaning attenuated or slender, reflected in the species common name
.
. Being one of three species known from the Persian Gulf
, further anatomical feature
s must be examined before the species can be confidently identified.
The first dorsal fin
consists of 12 or 13 spines, with the second dorsal fin having a single spine and 19 to 21 soft rays. The anal fin is similar to the second dorsal fin, but having 2 spines and between 18 and 20 soft rays. Other identifying features are the lateral line
scale
count, which numbers between 73 and 77 in the species, and the vertebrae count which is 37 to 39.
The swim bladder is almost transparent
and much more delicate than other members of Sillago. The specimen examined by McKay had an elongate oval shaped swim bladder with two rudimentary posterior extensions and no anterior extension. A delicate ductile process is present on the posterior ventral surface of the swim bladder.
The overall colour of the Slender whiting is a light sandy brown, with two series of faint blotches running lateral
ly. The upper row of these blotches has about 8 or 9 spots while the lower mid-lateral row has 10 spots. A row of indistinct spots or blotches runs along the base of the first, spinous dorsal fin, whose anterior most interspinous membrane
s are dusted with black spots. The membrane of the second dorsal fin dusted with black, while all other fins are hyaline
in appearance. Juveniles have a well defined mid lateral horizontal row of 9 elongate spots just below the lateral line.
, has a range confined entirely to the Persian Gulf
, where it inhabits shallow coastal waters. The species frequents beach
es and most likely inhabits tidal flats along the coast. Nothing else is known about the biology
or habitat
of this species.
s. Like many other Sillago species, it is taken alongside other smelt-whitings and no attempt is made to distinguish the species, as they are caught solely for consumption
in an area with little to no fishing
regulations or studies.
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 inshore 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...
that has a distribution limited to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
only. The Slender whiting, like most sillaginids requires careful study to determine its identity, with ray and vertebrae counts as well as swim bladder morphology distinguishing features. This inshore species of fish is commonly taken by fishermen using beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
seines and is sold fresh in local market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
s.
Taxonomy and naming
The Slender whiting is a speciesSpecies
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 the genus
Genus
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 contains 29 other species of whiting. Sillago 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...
, itself a division of the suborder 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:...
in the order 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 identified and named Sillago attenuata by McKay in 1985 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...
specimen collected in 1948 from Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura is a city in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia located on a peninsula extending into the Persian Gulf...
, Zaal Island in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, with a number of paratype
Paratype
Paratype is a technical term used in the scientific naming of species and other taxa of organisms. The exact meaning of the term paratype when it is used in zoology is not the same as the meaning when it is used in botany...
s also examined. The name of the species is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
'attenuatus', meaning attenuated or slender, reflected in the species 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...
.
Description
The Slender whiting has the same basic body profile as all the smelt whiting species, with an elongate, slightly compressed body covered in ctenoid scales, 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....
. Being one of three species known from the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, further anatomical feature
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
s must be examined before the species can be confidently identified.
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...
consists of 12 or 13 spines, with the second dorsal fin having a single spine and 19 to 21 soft rays. The anal fin is similar to the second dorsal fin, but having 2 spines and between 18 and 20 soft rays. Other identifying features are the 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...
scale
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...
count, which numbers between 73 and 77 in the species, and the vertebrae count which is 37 to 39.
The swim bladder is almost transparent
Transparency and translucency
In the field of optics, transparency is the physical property of allowing light to pass through a material; translucency only allows light to pass through diffusely. The opposite property is opacity...
and much more delicate than other members of Sillago. The specimen examined by McKay had an elongate oval shaped swim bladder with two rudimentary posterior extensions and no anterior extension. A delicate ductile process is present on the posterior ventral surface of the swim bladder.
The overall colour of the Slender whiting is a light sandy brown, with two series of faint blotches running lateral
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...
ly. The upper row of these blotches has about 8 or 9 spots while the lower mid-lateral row has 10 spots. A row of indistinct spots or blotches runs along the base of the first, spinous dorsal fin, whose anterior most interspinous membrane
Biological membrane
A biological membrane or biomembrane is an enclosing or separatingmembrane that acts as a selective barrier, within or around a cell. It consists of a lipid bilayer with embedded proteins that may constitute close to 50% of membrane content...
s are dusted with black spots. The membrane of the second dorsal fin dusted with black, while all other fins are hyaline
Hyaline
The term hyaline denotes a substance with a glass-like appearance.-Histopathology:In histopathological medical usage, a hyaline substance appears glassy and pink after being stained with haematoxylin and eosin — usually it is an acellular, proteinaceous material...
in appearance. Juveniles have a well defined mid lateral horizontal row of 9 elongate spots just below the lateral line.
Distribution and habitat
The Slender whiting, like the Shortnose whitingShortnose whiting
The shortnose whiting, Sillago arabica, is a recently described and poorly known species of inshore marine fish of the smelt whiting family Sillaginidae that inhabits only the Persian Gulf. S. arabica is similar in morphology to other sillaginids, although has a distinctive shortened snout which...
, has a range confined entirely to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, where it inhabits shallow coastal waters. The species frequents beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es and most likely inhabits tidal flats along the coast. Nothing else is known about 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 habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
of this species.
Importance to humans
The slender whiting is a common catch for subsistence and minor commercial fishermen along the coast of the Persian Gulf, where it is sold fresh in local marketMarket
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
s. Like many other Sillago species, it is taken alongside other smelt-whitings and no attempt is made to distinguish the species, as they are caught solely for consumption
Ingestion
Ingestion is the consumption of a substance by an organism. In animals, it normally is accomplished by taking in the substance through the mouth into the gastrointestinal tract, such as through eating or drinking...
in an area with little to no fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
regulations or studies.