Siphonognathus beddomei
Pencil weed whiting
Similar Species
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Extended body like the slender rock whiting, but the snout is long and pointed. The sides of the body generally carry thin blue stripes that are particularly conspicuous during the breeding season. Small aggregations of this species are very common above beds of Phyllospora comosa and other large brown algae on wave exposed reefs, but divers rarely notice these animals because of their small size.
Information
Max Size: 12 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 11.8-22.7°C
Depth: 1-15m
Habitat Generalization Index: 6.96
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: Common (23.5% 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: Several (7 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney