Japanese whiting | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Suborder: | Percoidei |
Superfamily: | Percoidea |
Family: | Sillaginidae |
Genus: | Sillago |
Species: | S. japonica |
Binomial name | |
Sillago japonica Temminck and Schlegel, 1843 |
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Range of the Japanese whiting | |
Synonyms | |
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The Japanese whiting, Sillago japonica, (also known as the Japanese sillago or Shiro-gisu) is a common species of coastal marine fish belonging to the smelt-whiting family, Sillaginidae. As suggested by its name, the Japanese whiting was first recorded from Japan in 1843, but has subsequently been found to extend to Korea, China and Taiwan.
The species inhabits a variety of shallow water habitats where it preys on a variety of crustaceans as well as polychaetes, bivalves and small fish. They spawn between June and October, and are taken in large quantities during this period by fishermen. Being one of the most abundant species of fish around Japan, they make up a large percentage of the commercial catch.
The Japanese whiting is one of 29 species in the genus Sillago, which is one of three divisions of the smelt whiting family Sillaginidae. The smelt-whitings are Perciformes in the suborder Percoidea.
The species was first recognized and scientifically described by Temminck and Schlegel in 1843 based on a holotype taken somewhere along the Japanese coast. The species has often been mistaken for Sillago sihama, and erroneously been published under this name by a number of authors, the first being Steindachner and Döderlein in 1885. Studies into various aspects of the Japanese whiting's biology have also been incorrectly named as studies on S. sihama.