Sillago
Encyclopedia
Sillago is one of three genera
in the family Sillaginidae
containing the smelt-whitings, and contains 29 species
, making Sillago the only non-monotypic
genus in the family. Distinguishing among Sillago species
can be difficult, with many similar in appearance and colour, forcing the use of swim bladder morphology
as a definitive feature. All whiting
species are benthic in nature and generally coastal fish
, living in shallow, protected waters, although there are exceptions. Minor fisheries
exist around various species of Sillago, making them of minor importance in most of their range
.
, itself part of the Percoidea
, a suborder of the Perciformes
. The name Sillago was first coined by famed taxonomist Georges Cuvier
as a genus for his newly described species, Sillago acuta, which was later found to be a junior synonym of S. sihama. John Richardson
placed the genus, along with Sillaginodes and Sillaginopsis in a family, which he named the Sillaginidae in 1846. Many species, both valid and invalid were added to the genus, and it was not until 1985 when Roland McKay of the Queensland Museum
published a revision of the family Sillaginidae that the complex relationships between these names was cleared up. McKay further divided Sillago into three subgenera based primarily on the morphology of the swim bladder.
These subgenera are not universally accepted; for example, FishBase
does not currently use them.
The name Sillago is derived from a locality or region within Australia
, possibly after Sillago Reef near Whitsunday Island
in Queensland
.
, itself based on Roland McKay's 1992 FAO Synopsis of the Sillaginidae.
-like process from the ventral surface to near the anus
. Their swim bladders are often complex, further distinguishing them from the genera Sillaginodes and Sillaginopsis (which often lacks a swim bladder entirely).
Members of the genus usually have a silver
to gold
-brown colour depending on their habitat, with shallow sand flat fish having a more silver appearance, while estuary
and silt
bottom dwellers having a darker brown colour.
. The genus ranges from the east coast of Africa
to Japan
in the east and Southern Australia
in the south, with most species concentrated around South East Asia, the Indonesia
n Archipelago and Australia. Many species have overlapping distribution, often making positive identification hard.
Sillagos are generally coastal fishes, inhabiting a variety of shallow water
habitat
s including open sand flats, muddy substrates and beaches with moderately strong wave action. Some species enter estuaries
and even penetrate fresh water
for considerable periods, especially during vulnerable stages of their life cycle
. Shallow water of a few centimetres is also occupied by juvenile sillagos, especially in the vicinity of cover such as seagrass
beds or mangroves. A few species are known to inhabit deeper offshore waters, with fish known from trawls up to 180 m (600 ft) deep.
in their ranges, with many having commercial importance. Fish are taken by a variety of methods including seine, gill and cast net
s as well as by line
. Recreational fishing
for Sillago is common, especially in Australia where they are valued as food fish
or for live bait
for larger species. Estuarine aquaculture
in India
, Japan
and Taiwan
has utilized sillagos as an important species, and similar trials have been conducted in Australia. They can be very delicious when deep fried.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the family Sillaginidae
Sillaginidae
The Sillaginidae, commonly known as the smelt-whitings, whitings, sillaginids, sand borers and sand-smelts, are a family of benthic coastal marine fishes in the order Perciformes. The smelt-whitings inhabit a wide region covering much of the Indo-Pacific, from the west coast of Africa east to Japan...
containing the smelt-whitings, and contains 29 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, making Sillago the only non-monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus in the family. Distinguishing among Sillago species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
can be difficult, with many similar in appearance and colour, forcing the use of swim bladder morphology
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
as a definitive feature. All whiting
Sillaginidae
The Sillaginidae, commonly known as the smelt-whitings, whitings, sillaginids, sand borers and sand-smelts, are a family of benthic coastal marine fishes in the order Perciformes. The smelt-whitings inhabit a wide region covering much of the Indo-Pacific, from the west coast of Africa east to Japan...
species are benthic in nature and generally coastal fish
Coastal fish
Coastal fish, also called offshore fish or neritic fish, are fish that inhabit the sea between the shoreline and the edge of the continental shelf. Since the continental shelf is usually less than 200 metres deep, it follows that pelagic coastal fish are generally epipelagic fish, inhabiting the...
, living in shallow, protected waters, although there are exceptions. Minor fisheries
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
exist around various species of Sillago, making them of minor importance in most of their range
Range (biology)
In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found. Within that range, dispersion is variation in local density.The term is often qualified:...
.
Taxonomy
The genus Sillago is one of three genera in the family SillaginidaeSillaginidae
The Sillaginidae, commonly known as the smelt-whitings, whitings, sillaginids, sand borers and sand-smelts, are a family of benthic coastal marine fishes in the order Perciformes. The smelt-whitings inhabit a wide region covering much of the Indo-Pacific, from the west coast of Africa east to Japan...
, itself part of the Percoidea
Percoidea
Percoidea is a superfamily of fish of the order Perciformes....
, a suborder of the Perciformes
Perciformes
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
. The name Sillago was first coined by famed taxonomist Georges Cuvier
Georges Cuvier
Georges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
as a genus for his newly described species, Sillago acuta, which was later found to be a junior synonym of S. sihama. John Richardson
John Richardson (naturalist)
Sir John Richardson was a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer.Richardson was born at Dumfries. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and became a surgeon in the navy in 1807. He traveled with John Franklin in search of the Northwest Passage on the Coppermine Expedition of...
placed the genus, along with Sillaginodes and Sillaginopsis in a family, which he named the Sillaginidae in 1846. Many species, both valid and invalid were added to the genus, and it was not until 1985 when Roland McKay of the Queensland Museum
Queensland Museum
The Queensland Museum is the state museum of Queensland. The museum currently operates four separate campuses; at South Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba and Townsville.The museum is funded by the State Government of Queensland.-History:...
published a revision of the family Sillaginidae that the complex relationships between these names was cleared up. McKay further divided Sillago into three subgenera based primarily on the morphology of the swim bladder.
- Silliganopodys: Swimbladder greatly reduced, with no duct-like process and no haemal funnel
- Sillago: A double post-coelomCoelomThe coelom is a fluid-filled cavity formed within the mesoderm. Coeloms developed in triploblasts but were subsequently lost in several lineages. Loss of coelom is correlated with reduction in body size...
ic extension penetrating the tailTailThe tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
region - Parasillago: A single post-coelomic extension of the swimbladder
These subgenera are not universally accepted; for example, FishBase
FishBase
FishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish species . It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web...
does not currently use them.
The name Sillago is derived from a locality or region within Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, possibly after Sillago Reef near Whitsunday Island
Whitsunday Island
Whitsunday Island is the largest island in the Whitsunday group of islands located off the coast of Central Queensland, Australia. Whitsunday Island is located at...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
Classification
This is an exhaustive list of all species currently considered valid by FishBaseFishBase
FishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish species . It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web...
, itself based on Roland McKay's 1992 FAO Synopsis of the Sillaginidae.
- Genus Sillago
- Oriental trumpeter whitingOriental trumpeter whitingThe oriental trumpeter whiting, Sillago aeolus, is a widely distributed species of benthic inshore fish in the smelt-whiting family. The species ranges from east Africa to Japan, inhabiting much if the southern Asian and Indonesian coastlines. Its morphology is very similar to other species within...
, Sillago aeolus (JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& EvermannBarton Warren EvermannBarton Warren Evermann was an American ichthyologist. He was born in Monroe County, Iowa, and graduated from Indiana University in 1886. For 10 years, he served as teacher and superintendent of schools in Indiana and California. He was professor of biology at the Indiana State University in...
, 1902) - Golden lined whitingGolden lined whitingThe golden lined whiting, Sillago analis , is a species of inshore marine fish of the smelt whiting family, Sillaginidae that inhabits the coastlines of northern Australia and lower Papua New Guinea...
, Sillago analis (WhitleyGilbert Percy WhitleyGilbert Percy Whitley was a British-born Australian ichthyologist and malacologist who was Curator of Fishes at the Australian Museum in Sydney for about 40 years. He was born at Swaythling, Southampton, England, and was educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton and Osborne House...
, 1943) - Shortnose whitingShortnose whitingThe shortnose whiting, Sillago arabica, is a recently described and poorly known species of inshore marine fish of the smelt whiting family Sillaginidae that inhabits only the Persian Gulf. S. arabica is similar in morphology to other sillaginids, although has a distinctive shortened snout which...
, Sillago arabica (McKay & McCarthy, 1989) - Silver-banded whitingSilver-banded whitingThe silver-banded whiting, Sillago argentifasciata, is a narrowly distributed species of inshore marine fish of the smelt whiting family Sillaginidae that inhabits the coastline of a single province within the Philippines. The species' taxonomic status is still marginally uncertain, with the last...
, Sillago argentifasciata (Martin & Montalban, 1935) - Asian whitingAsian whitingThe Asian whiting, Sillago asiatica, is a species inshore marine fish in the smelt whiting family, Sillaginidae, distributed along the Asian coastline from the Gulf of Thailand to Taiwan. The Asian whiting's appearance is very similar to other closely related species in the genus Sillago, with swim...
, Sillago asiatica (McKay, 1982) - Slender whitingSlender whitingThe Slender whiting, Sillago attenuata, is a poorly known species of inshore marine fish of the smelt whiting family, Sillaginidae that has a distribution limited to the Persian Gulf only. The Slender whiting, like most sillaginids requires careful study to determine its identity, with ray and...
, Sillago attenuata (McKay, 1985) - Southern school whitingSouthern school whitingThe southern school whiting, Sillago bassensis, is a common species of coastal marine fish of the smelt-whiting family that inhabits the south and south-west coasts of Australia...
, Sillago bassensis (Cuvier, 1829) - Boutan's whitingBoutan's whitingBoutan's whiting, Sillago boutani, is a poorly understood species of coastal marine fish of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae that inhabits the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin and south eastern China...
, Sillago boutani (PellegrinJacques PellegrinJacques Pellegrin was a French zoologist.Pellegrin was born in Paris, and studied natural history. In 1894 he became assistant chairman of zoology at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, replacing Léon Vaillant .He got his doctorates in medicine and science...
, 1905) - Western trumpeter whitingWestern trumpeter whitingThe western trumpeter whiting, Sillago burrus, is a species of marine fish of the smelt whiting family Sillaginidae that is commonly found along the northern coast of Australia and in southern Indonesia and New Guinea...
, Sillago burrus (RichardsonJohn Richardson (naturalist)Sir John Richardson was a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer.Richardson was born at Dumfries. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and became a surgeon in the navy in 1807. He traveled with John Franklin in search of the Northwest Passage on the Coppermine Expedition of...
, 1842) - Sillago caudicula Kaga, Imamura & Nakaya, 2010
- Club-foot whitingClub-foot whitingThe club-foot whiting, Sillago chondropus, is a coastal marine fish of the smelt whiting family Sillaginidae that inhabits a wide range including west Africa, India and the northern Indonesian Archipelago...
, Sillago chondropus (Bleeker, 1849) - Sand whitingSand whitingThe sand whiting, Sillago ciliata, is a common species of coastal marine fish of the family Sillaginidae, the smelt-whitings...
, Sillago ciliata (Cuvier, 1829) - Eastern school whitingEastern school whitingThe eastern school whiting, Sillago flindersi , is a species of benthic marine fish of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae...
, Sillago flindersi (McKay, 1985) - Indian whitingIndian whitingThe Indian whiting, Sillago indica, is a poorly known species of coastal marine fish of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. The species was named in 1985, having previously being misidentified as another species of Sillago, S. parvisquamis. The Indian whiting inhabits the east and west coasts of...
, Sillago indica (McKay, Dutt & Sujatha, 1985) - Bay whitingBay whitingThe bay whiting, Sillago ingenuua, is a species of coastal marine fish of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. The bay whiting's range extends throughout the west Indian Ocean, including northern Australia, Thailand, India and Taiwan, where it inhabits protected waters...
, Sillago ingenuua (McKay, 1985) - Thai whitingThai whitingThe Thai whiting, Sillago intermedius, is a species of coastal marine fish of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. The Thai whiting ranges from the west coast of India to the Gulf of Thailand in the east, inhabiting silty substrates in shallow waters...
, Sillago intermedius (Wongratana, 1977) - Japanese whitingJapanese whitingThe Japanese whiting, Sillago japonica, is a common species of coastal marine fish belonging to the smelt-whiting family, Sillaginidae...
, Sillago japonica (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843) - Mud whitingMud whitingThe mud whiting, Sillago lutea, is a species of coastal marine fish in the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. The mud whiting was first described in 1985 and is currently known from the north west coast of Australia and the Indian coast....
, Sillago lutea (McKay, 1985) - Large-scale whitingLarge-scale whitingThe large-scale whiting, Sillago macrolepis, is a poorly understood species of coastal marine fish of the smelt- whiting family Sillaginidae. First described in 1859, the large-scale whiting is known to inhabit shallow waters along the coasts of a number of Indo-Pacific countries including Japan,...
, Sillago macrolepis (Bleeker, 1859) - Trumpeter whitingTrumpeter whitingThe trumpeter whiting, Sillago maculata, is a common species of coastal marine fish of the smelt-whiting family, Sillaginidae. The trumpeter whiting is endemic to Australia, inhabiting the eastern seaboard from southern New South Wales to northern Queensland...
, Sillago maculata (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) - Large-headed whitingLarge-headed whitingThe large-headed whiting, Sillago megacephalus, is a dubious species of coastal marine fish in the smelt-whiting family that has only been recorded from one specimen captured off the coast of China in 1933...
, Sillago megacephalus (Lin, 1933) - Small-eyed whitingSmall-eyed whitingThe small-eyed whiting, Sillago microps, is a poorly known species of coastal marine fish of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. The species is known from only two specimens; the holotype collected by Roland McKay in 1985 from a Taipei market, both specimens of which were taken from the waters...
, Sillago microps (McKay, 1985) - Rough whitingRough whitingThe rough whiting, Sillago nierstraszi, is a dubious species of coastal marine fish in the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. The species is known only from the holotype which was collected in 1941 on the south coast of Papua New Guinea, but is thought to be lost. S...
, Sillago nierstraszi (Hardenberg, 1941) - Small-scale whitingSmall-scale whitingThe small-scale whiting, Sillago parvisquamis , is a species of inshore marine fish of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. The small-scale whiting is very similar in body shape and colour to other species in the genus Sillago, but is distinguished by having 12 or 13 spines in the first dorsal...
, Sillago parvisquamis (Gill, 1861) - Stout whitingStout whitingThe stout whiting, Sillago robusta , is a species of benthic marine fish in the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. Like other sillaginids, it is an elongate, slightly compressed fish, growing to a maximum known length of 30 cm...
, Sillago robusta (Stead, 1908) - Yellowfin whitingYellowfin whitingThe yellowfin whiting, Sillago schomburgkii, is a species of inshore marine fish in the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae...
, Sillago schomburgkii (Peters, 1864) - Northern whitingNorthern whitingThe northern whiting, Sillago sihama , is a marine fish, the most widespread and abundant member of the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. The northern whiting was the first species of sillaginid scientifically described and is therefore the type species of both the family Sillaginidae and the...
, Sillago sihama (Forsskål, 1775) - Chinese sillagoChinese sillagoThe Chinese sillago, Sillago sinica, is a species of recently described inshore marine fish in the smelt whiting family Sillaginidae. The species is known only to inhabit the coastal waters of China, primarily in estuarine tidal flats. The Chinese sillago was described in 2011 based on...
, Sillago sinica Gao, Ji, Xiao, Xue, Yanagimoto & Setoguma, 2011 - Soringa whitingSoringa whitingThe Soringa whiting, Sillago soringa , is a poorly known species of coastal marine fish of the smelt-whiting family, Sillaginidae. The Soringa whiting is known exclusively from the east coast of India, inhabiting shallow inshore environments, particularly sandy substrates. S...
, Sillago soringa (Dutt and Sujatha, 1982) - Estuarine whitingEstuarine whitingThe estuarine whiting, Sillago vincenti , is a species of benthic inshore marine fish of the smelt-whiting family, Sillaginidae. The estuarine whiting is very similar in appearance to the northern whiting, Sillago sihama, and as such was mistaken for the latter until 1980, when R.J...
, Sillago vincenti (McKay, 1980) - Western school whitingWestern school whitingThe western school whiting, Sillago vittata , is a species of benthic marine fish in the smelt-whiting family Sillaginidae. The species is one of three 'school whiting' that inhabit southern Australia and share a very similar appearance...
, Sillago vittata (McKay, 1985)
- Oriental trumpeter whiting
Description
All species in the genus Sillago are similar to other members of the Sillaginidae family in profile, with the distinctive compressed, long, tapering body common to all species. The definitive characteristic for Sillago is the presence of a swim bladder, in all but one case (Sillago chondropus) having a ductDuct
A duct may refer to:* Duct , various ducts in anatomy and physiology* Duct , for transfer of air between spaces in a structure* Duct tape, a kind of adhesive tape* Ducted fan, motor for aircraft...
-like process from the ventral surface to near the anus
Anus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
. Their swim bladders are often complex, further distinguishing them from the genera Sillaginodes and Sillaginopsis (which often lacks a swim bladder entirely).
Members of the genus usually have a silver
Silver (color)
Silver is the metallic shade resembling gray, closest to that of polished silver.The visual sensation usually associated with the metal silver is its metallic shine. This cannot be reproduced by a simple solid color, because the shiny effect is due to the material's brightness varying with the...
to gold
Gold (color)
Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....
-brown colour depending on their habitat, with shallow sand flat fish having a more silver appearance, while estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
and silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
bottom dwellers having a darker brown colour.
Distribution and habitat
With 29 species, the genus Sillago has the widest distribution of any smelt-whiting genus, spanning much of the Indo-PacificIndo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
. The genus ranges from the east coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the east and Southern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the south, with most species concentrated around South East Asia, the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n Archipelago and Australia. Many species have overlapping distribution, often making positive identification hard.
Sillagos are generally coastal fishes, inhabiting a variety of shallow water
Shallow water
Shallow water may refer to:* Shallow water blackout* Waves and shallow water** Shallow water equations** Boussinesq equations * Shallow Water, Kansas...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s including open sand flats, muddy substrates and beaches with moderately strong wave action. Some species enter estuaries
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
and even penetrate fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
for considerable periods, especially during vulnerable stages of their life cycle
Biological life cycle
A life cycle is a period involving all different generations of a species succeeding each other through means of reproduction, whether through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction...
. Shallow water of a few centimetres is also occupied by juvenile sillagos, especially in the vicinity of cover such as seagrass
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...
beds or mangroves. A few species are known to inhabit deeper offshore waters, with fish known from trawls up to 180 m (600 ft) deep.
Relationship to humans
Various species of Sillago represent minor local fisheriesFishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
in their ranges, with many having commercial importance. Fish are taken by a variety of methods including seine, gill and cast net
Fishing net
A fishing net or fishnet is a net that is used for fishing. Fishing nets are meshes usually formed by knotting a relatively thin thread. Modern nets are usually made of artificial polyamides like nylon, although nets of organic polyamides such as wool or silk thread were common until recently and...
s as well as by line
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
. Recreational fishing
Recreational fishing
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing, is fishing for pleasure or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is fishing for profit, or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival....
for Sillago is common, especially in Australia where they are valued as food fish
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
or for live bait
Bait fish
Bait fish are small fish caught for use as bait to attract large predatory fish, particularly game fish. Species used are typically those that are common and breed rapidly, making them easy to catch and in regular supply. Examples of marine bait fish are anchovies, halfbeaks such as ballyhoo, and...
for larger species. Estuarine aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
has utilized sillagos as an important species, and similar trials have been conducted in Australia. They can be very delicious when deep fried.