Yellowfin Whiting

Interesting Info

• The Yellowfin Whiting is endemic to Australia and occurs from around Port Hedland south along Western Australia’s coast to the south coast, and in South Australia’s Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent.
• A handy ID tip: adults lack spots or stripes on the upper sides and show bright yellow pelvic and anal fins; juveniles have a line of dark blotches that fade with age.
• It lives very shallow—over sand flats, bars, and seagrass beds—and rides the tides: schooling over the flats at high tide and dropping into channels as the water falls.
• Yellowfin Whiting feed by “vacuuming” the sand with a protrusible (extendable) mouth, sucking up polychaete worms, amphipods, small shrimps, and tiny clams.
• They often school tightly, which helps them forage efficiently while keeping an eye out for predators.
• Spawning peaks in summer (mainly December–February), when adults form loose groups and release eggs into the water column.
• Females are multiple spawners, releasing several batches of eggs across the season instead of all at once.
• Most fish reach sexual maturity at about 20 cm total length—typically by the end of their second year.
• Lifespan is usually 4–7 years, but exceptional individuals can reach around 12 years in the wild.
• Genetic and tagging evidence point to limited mixing between northern and southern WA groups, and South Australian gulf populations can be semi-separate—so local stocks are managed carefully.
• It supports important coastal fisheries in Shark Bay (WA) and in South Australia’s two gulfs, and is a favourite target for beach and estuary anglers using worms, yabbies, and prawns.
• Ecologically, it helps control small sand-dwelling invertebrates and in turn feeds larger fish, rays, and coastal birds.
• Because juveniles rely on healthy seagrass and intertidal flats, conserving these nursery habitats is vital for strong future year-classes.