Haletta semifasciata
Blue rock whiting
Haletta semifasciata, male, Maria Island, TAS, Photo: Antonia Cooper
Haletta semifasciata, Flinders Is, TAS, Photo: Andrew Green
Haletta semifasciata, Flinders Is, TAS, Photo: Andrew Green
Haletta semifasciata, Jervis Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Haletta semifasciata, Port Phillip Bay, VIC, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Similar Species
Distribution
Description
A large species with yellow eyes and a whiting-like slender body. It is only found in sheltered habitats without direct swell exposure, typically Sargassum beds or seagrass. Females are most common, and look like a larger version of Neoodax balteatus, but lacking the dark stripe down the side. Males are rare, and have bright blue lines on the face and a darker body than the green females.
Information
Max Size: 29 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 11.9-22.1°C
Depth: 1 - 15 m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Infrequent (6.3% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Few (2 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Rick S-S