page_title: Japanese whiting
section_title: Distribution and habitat
hierarchical_section_title: Japanese whiting / Distribution and habitat
caption_attribution_description: Japanese sillago!
context_page_description: The Japanese whiting, Sillago japonica, is a common species of coastal marine fish belonging to the smelt-whiting family, Sillaginidae. As suggested by its name, the Japanese whiting was first recorded from Japan in 1843, but has subsequently been found to extend to Korea, China and Taiwan.
  The species inhabits a variety of shallow water habitats where it preys on a variety of crustaceans as well as polychaetes, bivalves and small fish. They spawn between June and October, and are taken in large quantities during this period by fishermen. Being one of the most abundant species of fish around Japan, they make up a large percentage of the commercial catch.
context_section_description: The Japanese whiting ranges from Japan where it was first described, west toward Korea, China and Taiwan, possibly extending as far south as the Philippines. The species is not only the most common sillaginid of Japan, but is one of the most common coastal species of any family, often making up a significant proportion of shallow water samples.
  S. japonica occurs in a variety of habitats, with shallow sandy flats in bays, surf zones of beaches, protected eelgrass seabeds and occasionally estuaries used by the species. They are a shallow water species, operating in depths between 0 and 30 m (98 ft). Juveniles tend to use eelgrass beds as a nursery area, gaining both food and protection from these habitats while adults move to more exposed areas.
caption: Japanese whiting taken from Tokyo Bay
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