Chrysoblephus cristiceps
Chrysoblephus cristiceps, the dageraad, is a rare and endemic fish found on the coast from Table Bay to Durban. It is more abundant south of East London. It grows up to 70 cm long and can weigh up to 8.7 kg. The fish is pink to red and white on the underside. They have a distinctive dark red spot on the tip of the dorsal fin. Adult fish have a blue line under the eyes. Large adult fish develop a high forehead. The young fish are pink with a horizontal band down the middle of the body and two spots under the dorsal fin.
| Chrysoblephus cristiceps | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Spariformes |
| Family: | Sparidae |
| Genus: | Chrysoblephus |
| Species: | C. cristiceps |
| Binomial name | |
| Chrysoblephus cristiceps (Valenciennes , 1830 ) | |
The fish is found on offshore rock reefs between 25 and 100m deep. They occur in schools.
They feed mostly in the early mornings and then feed on crabs, worms, chokka, fish and starfish. They are also caught with a variety of baits. The fish has been caught and action is needed so that the population can recover.
References
- Buxton, C.D., Mann, B.Q., Pollard, D., Carpenter, K.E. & Winker, H. 2014. Chrysoblephus cristiceps. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T170183A1288745. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T170183A1288745.en. Accessed on 30 August 2023.