Endemic to southern regions of the Australian continental shelf. Distribution ranges from Kangaroo Island in South Australia (Ref. 27573) to Geraldton in Western Australia (Ref. 6335).

Stock structure: Four samples of western school whiting analysed using electrophoresis showed significant genetic variation and may be from separate stocks (Ref. 27573). Three of the samples were from South Australia and the other from Mandurah in Western Australia. Other stocks of western school whiting may also exist.

Commercial fishery: Western school whiting are caught as a bycatch of trawlers fishing for prawns and scallops (Pecten species) off south-western Western Australia. They are rarely targeted by commercial fishers in Western Australia because of the high proportion of fish there that are smaller than the minimum legal size. The total Western Australian catch (mainly western school whiting ) was about 18 t in 1988-89.

Only small amounts of school whiting are sold on the domestic market.

Recreational fishery: Western school whiting are commonly caught by anglers in Western Australia along with other whiting species such as western trumpeter whiting (Sillago maculata burrus) and yellowfin whiting (S. schomburgkii).