Little weed whiting

Little weed whiting
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Labriformes
Family:	Odacidae
Genus:	Neoodax Castelnau, 1875
Species:	N. balteatus
Binomial name
Neoodax balteatus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Synonyms
Odax balteatus Valenciennes, 1840 Odax algensis J. Richardson, 1840 Odax obscurus Castelnau, 1872 Neoodax waterhousii Castelnau, 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 Odacidae 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.