Blue-arsed Whiting
Haletta semifasciata
- Usual depth2–5 m
- Water temperature14–21 °C
- Best monthsSeptember and October
- How commonCommon
Photo credit: (c) Christopher Mark, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christopher Mark · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
The blue weed whiting is a species of ray-finned fish, a weed whiting from the family Labridae, which is endemic to Australia where it is only found along the southern coast. It is found in brackish and marine waters in sheltered locations at depths of from 1 to 7 metres. This species inhabits areas with a substrate of sand with beds of seagrass where it feeds on small invertebrates and algae and the seagrasses themselves. This species grows to a length of 29 centimetres (11 in) SL. It is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries. This species is the only known member of its genus.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Blue weed whiting”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 196 records
- February: 158 records
- March: 128 records
- April: 29 records
- May: 139 records
- June: 50 records
- July: 118 records
- August: 539 records
- September: 743 records
- October: 1,091 records
- November: 132 records
- December: 128 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 2–5 m · Deepest record: 11.9 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 14–21 °C
Photos
(c) Lek Khauv, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lek Khauv · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Lek Khauv, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lek Khauv · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Josh Nitschke, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Lek Khauv, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
(c) Josh Nitschke, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Blue-arsed Whiting, blue rock whiting, Blue Weed-whiting, Blue Weed Whiting, Grass Whiting, Rock Whiting, Stranger, Stranger Whiting, Weed Whiting, Weedy Whiting
Other scientific names: Julis dringii, Odax hyrtlii, Odax richardsoni, Odax richardsonii, Odax semifasciatus
Similar species
Blue GroperAchoerodus gouldii
Blue GroperAchoerodus viridis
Hawaiian HogfishBodianus albotaeniatus
Tripletail wrasseCheilinus trilobatus
Blunt-head ParrotfishChlorurus microrhinos
Spectacled ParrotfishChlorurus perspicillatus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 763 open-data records from 1878 to 2023.
- Species data updated November 3, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.