Search

Anemones are simple animals that look like delicate flowers. But these “flowers” can move and catch prey. Anemones have poisonous barbs in their tentacles that fire on contact, injecting poison into their prey. To protect themselves, anemones secrete a special slime that prevents the stinging cells on one tentacle from firing when they come into contact with other tentacles or with the anemone’s body.

The common octopus lives at depths of up to 200m and feeds on crabs, shellfish, and rock lobsters. It lives in crevices and holes and is fiercely territorial.

The longnose butterflyfish is the most widespread species of butterflyfish also known as big-nosed butterflyfish, forcepsfish or yellow longsnout butterflyfish.

Giant kob (previously known as dusky kob) are found in estuaries and on rocky reefs and sandy bottoms from southern Mozambique to False Bay. They are also found off the coasts of Australia, Japan, Pakistan and India.

Some sharks are ahead of the trend when it comes to comfort—living in their pyjamas! Meet the pyjama catshark, a nocturnal creature that spends most of the day lounging in caves or crevices, catching some z's. And with those signature pyjama stripes; it’s no wonder they’re all about napping in style!

The semicircle angelfish is a narrow, oblong fish with a greenish-yellow or yellow-brown body covered in dark blue spots everywhere excepts its face and pectoral fins.

Red stumpnose are endemic off South Africa and occur from False Bay to Margate, although they are more common south of East London.

They have steep foreheads which, in males, become increasingly pronounced and bulbous as they get older. They have strong molars which they use to crush prey such as redbait, urchins, octopuses and crabs.

Although red stumpnose are good to eat, they have been over-exploited. Presently they may only be caught once they have reached a minimum size of 30cm and anglers may only catch one fish per person per day.

Red stumpnose are currently listed as a Red species on SASSI’s Customer Seafood List, which means you should not buy or sell these fish as seafood.

Photograph by Dagny Warmerdam.

These fish use camouflage to mimic the ripple patterns in the sand caused by currents and tides.

They feed mainly on bottom-dwelling animals e.g. cracker shrimps, sea lice and molluscs.

Romans are an endemic species found on rocky reefs off southern Africa at depths from 5m to 100m.

Like other sea breams, the roman has the ability to change sex, in this instance from female to male.

The male attracts a harem of females, with which he will mate. A large male is very aggressive and will defend his harem and territory against all intruders, including competitive males.

His frantic protective behaviour attracts the attention of predators, which increases his risk of being eaten.

Should this happen, the dominant female will immediately take over his role. Sex change takes a little longer.

There are 51 species of surgeon fish, 19 of which occur in southern African waters.

Surgeon fish are so named because of the scalpel-like spines on either side of their tail fins, which are folded into a groove when not in use.

When surgeons are threatened or alarmed, they lift their scalpel spines, using them to slash at their attackers! They also use the spines to wedge themselves into cracks in the reef.

The pencilled surgeon has a single fixed spine on each side of the base of its caudal fin, which is used in defense or when fighting.

Adults live in caves on reefs at depths of up to 100m, or in open water around sea mounts and islands.

The juveniles are found in estuaries where they graze on algae-covered rocks.

Three-spot angelfish get their name from the two spots that appear just behind their gill slits and a third spot on their forehead.