Little weed whiting

Little weed whiting
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Labriformes
Family:	Labridae
Subfamily:	Hypsigenyinae
Genus:	Neoodax Castelnau, 1875
Species:	N. balteatus
Binomial name
Neoodax balteatus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Synonyms
Odax balteatusValenciennes, 1840 Odax algensis J. Richardson, 1840 Odax obscurusCastelnau, 1872 Neoodax waterhousiiCastelnau, 1875 Odax brunneus W. J. Macleay, 1881

The little weed whiting (Neoodax balteatus) is a species of ray-finned fish, a weed whiting from the family Labridae ^[2] which is endemic to Australia. It occurs along the Southern Australian coast, including Tasmania, ranging north to Cockburn Sound on the Indian Ocean side, and to north of the city of Sydney on the Pacific Ocean side. It inhabits marine and brackish waters, preferring sheltered areas such as estuaries and also on rocky reefs and in seagrass beds. It occurs at depths of from 1 to 22 metres (3.3 to 72.2 ft) (though usually shallower than 15 metres (49 ft)). This species grows to a length of 14 centimetres (5.5 in) SL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. This species is the only known member of its genus. ^[3]

Gallery

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  Showing size
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  Feeding on a cracked open sea urchin

References

1. Russell, B.; Clements, K.D.; Choat, J.H.; Rocha, L.A.; Myers, R.; Lazuardi, M.E.; Muljadi, A.; Pardede, S.; Rahardjo, P. (2012). "Neoodax balteatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T190676A17773724. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T190676A17773724.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Hypsigenyinae". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 18 July 2025.
3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Neoodax balteatus". FishBase . February 2014 version.