Western sand whiting

The yellowfin whiting has a similar body profile to most other Australian sillaginids, with colour and swimbladder morphology the simplest identifying features. It is one of the largest members of the Sillaginidae, growing to a known maximum known length of 42 cm and a weight of 860 g. The body is elongate and compressed, with the dorsal profile more arched than the ventral. The mouth is small and oblique, having a broad band of villiform teeth in each jaw. There are two slightly separated dorsal fins, the first consisting of 10 to 12 spines and the second of 1 spine followed by 19 to 22 soft rays. The anal fin consists of 2 spines followed by 17 to 20 soft rays, the ventral of 1 spine and 5 soft rays and the pectoral of 15 to 16 rays. The caudal fin is emarginate, and is made up of 17 rays. The body is covered in small ctenoid scales extending to the upper head and nostrils of the fish, also present behind each ray of the dorsal and anal fins. The lateral line has 66 to 76 scales, and the cheek has 4 or 5 rows of scales, all of which are ctenoid. There is a total of 37 vertebrae in the species. The swimbladder has an incised anterior margin with no median or anterolateral projections and there is a single tapering posterior extension which rapidly narrows to a slender tube. A duct like process is present on the ventral surface of the swimbladder. The yellowfin whiting is a sandy brown to pale silvery grey colour, with a darker dorsal surface and paler underside. There is a narrow silver mid-lateral band with a brownish band above, although these bands may be pale or indistinct. The dorsal fins are both hyaline with rows of small brown spots and the anal fins are pale yellow with a cream margin. The ventral fins are also yellowish, and the pectoral fin is pale yellow to hyaline with a fine dusting and lacks a dark spot at the base. As yellowfin whiting grow, the yellow colour of the fins often fades and in large specimens may be completely absent. The caudal fin is greyish.