Trumpeter sillago (Sillago maculata)

Scientific name: Sillago maculata Quoy & Gaimard, 1824

Trumpeter sillago (Sillago maculata)

The Trumpeter sillago (Sillago maculata) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sillaginidae.

Biology

Occur on silty and muddy substrates in the deeper water of bays, but also frequenting the mouths of rivers, estuaries, and mangrove creeks. Juveniles abound in estuaries and shallow water during summer, moving deeper as they mature. Diet of juveniles consist largely of small crustaceans and that of the adult fish consist mainly of polychaete worms and bivalve mollusks. Oviparous. Spawn throughout the year with peaks in Dec.-Feb.. Marketed fresh and chilled.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Sillago maculata
Family
Sillaginidae (Smelt-whitings)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
30.0
Common length
25.0
Depth range
0–50 m (0–164 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; demersal; non-migratory; depth range 0 - 50 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Western Pacific: endemic to Australia. Records of this species from western Australia or northern Australia refer to Sillago burrus. Also very similar to Sillago aeolus from southeast Asia (Sunda Shelf). Occurrence in Tanzania is probably a misidentification.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: experimental; gamefish: yes
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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