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Seventy-four
The seventy-four is a beautiful fish, with a pinkish head and belly, silver-yellow body and four to six iridescent blue stripes running horizontally across its sides. On each side, above its pectoral fin, is a conspicuous black spot. It is primarily a piscivore, feeding on smaller fish such as sardines and mullet, but will also eat squid and crustaceans if available. Juvenile seventy-fours feed exclusively on tiny invertebrates. Due to overfishing in the 1960s, the seventy-four now faces extinction in the wild. Thanks to a total ban on fishing, and proper management of its ecosystem, its numbers are slowly recovering. The seventy-four is Critically Endangered, the most severe rating on the IUCN Red List. It is also Red on the WWF-SASSI List.Longfinned batfish
The longfinned batfish has a narrow body and steep forehead, in profile appearing as a large disc.
Garrick (leervis)
The garrick is an elongated predator, with a sleek silver-green body and dark fins. Its most notable identifying feature is the downward curving lateral line along its sides.
Yellowfin surgeonfish
The yellowfin surgeonfish is a beautiful fish that gradually changes colour as it matures.
Comet
The comet is a tropical reef-dwelling fish that is characterised by its dark black-brown body which is covered in small white spots.
Yellow teardrop butterflyfish
This bright yellow butterflyfish is easily identifiable by its coloration, its black eye spot and the black bar through its eye.
Copperband butterflyfish
The copperband butterflyfish is visually very similar to the South African butterflyfish.
Jumping bean
The jumping bean is a shy fish, but it is hard to miss when one catches a glimpse of its brilliant blue body and burnt orange head and back.
Ocellated snake-eel
Ocellated snake-eels inhabit sandy coral reefs and lagoons along South Africa’s east coast
Sand shrimp
The tiny sand shrimp is a scavenger, common in intertidal pools and rocky coasts along the west coast of Southern Africa and the southern Cape.
Red sea star
The red Sea stars (we don’t call them starfish anymore, because they’re not really fish!) is a prominent species, common off the South African coast.
Brown burnie
Brown burnies are rather drab compared to other butterflyfish. Other than a dull yellow head they are almost entirely brown. Even their eye bar, characteristic of butterflyfish, is brown. They are solitary, but sometimes pair up for hunting when they pursue small invertebrates. The brown burnie is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and has a stable population.