Appearance and lifestyle:
The hottentot (Pachymetopon blochii) is a small bronze-grey seabream with small dark fins. Its mouth is packed with five rows of incisors which allow it to fulfil its omnivorous diet. Fish of the family Sparidae are often referred to as "sea breams", "porgies" or "sparids". These approximately 100 species are all deep-bodied, compressed and have small mouths on the bottom of their heads, i.e. there is a large distance between their eyes and their mouths. Sparids are generally dull silver, brown or reddish colours. When rare, coloured patterns are present, the most common layout is a series of horizontal stripes that become duller with age. Most species have some form of molar in their mouth which can be used to grind the shells of molluscs and crustaceans, and all have some sort of grinding apparatus in their pharyngeal jaws. They also all have small canines or incisors to supplement the molars. Their tail fins are usually forked. Most sparids are gonochoristic which means that their species has two distinct sexes and that individuals are biologically one or the other. In a few rare species, they display sequential hermaphroditism, where they start as one sex and change into the other with age.
Habitat:
It occurs along the coast of Angola, Namibia and the South African West Coast to Cape Point and is an important commercially fished species in the Western Cape. It forms small shoals in kelp forests and over rocky reefs. Juveniles are restricted to kelp beds. They are dependent on the sea floor, they usually inhabit shallow waters. They typically prefer temperate or sub-tropical waters and are found in greatest diversity along the African coast - 41 of their 100 species are native to South African waters.
Diet:
All "sparids" are carnivores, feeding on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and fish. Most species have some form of molar in their mouth which can be used to grind the shells of molluscs and crustaceans, and all have some sort of grinding apparatus in their pharyngeal jaws.
Threats:
Some threats faced by hottentots are climate change, overfishing habitat degradation etc.