South Africa’s weird and wonderful marine life Posted on 8 October 2019 Having two oceans encompassing our coastline, South Africa has a rich marine diversity. To celebrate National Marine Week, here are 10 weird and wonderful marine critters that call our coast home. 1. Filefish View this post on Instagram A post shared by Torsten Behrendt (@torsten_aka_rwc_turbo_8) on Sep 16, 2019 at 1:04am PDT Filefish are also known as foolfish, leatherjackets or shingles. These fish are flat and the front part of their bodies are deep, giving them a triangular shape. 2. Crocodile fish View this post on Instagram A post shared by Peter Ansems (@peteransems57) on Jul 14, 2016 at 8:59pm PDT These fish look like a lion fish and a spade sand skate had a baby. They are bottom-dwelling fish that are very camoflaged and can grow up to 1 metre in size. 3. Flounders View this post on Instagram A post shared by Fascinated about underwater (@aquarium_fans) on Oct 4, 2019 at 1:19am PDT Much to my dismay, flounders are not how Disney depicted them. These fish are in fact, master camouflagers. Their eyes are usually on one side of their flattened bodies and can be tricky to spot when in costume. 3. Flatworms View this post on Instagram A post shared by Juho Karhu (@jk_uw_photography) on Aug 18, 2019 at 10:03am PDT These flat, leaf life creatures are marvellous to look at. They grow between 10 and 30 cm and vary in colour, from green and grey to black and vivid orange. 4. Frogfish View this post on Instagram A post shared by Valerie (@lifesatrip4) on Oct 7, 2019 at 12:44am PDT This sea creature is particularly mesmerising. Frogfish snatch up their prey when contact is made with a fleshy tentacle, causing their jaw to spring open. 5. Lizardfish View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mike Rudenko (@mauispeardiver) on Sep 29, 2019 at 9:21pm PDT These lean, mean fighting machines have sharp teeth in both jaws that help them snatch up their unsuspecting prey. These critters grow between 20-60cm in length. 6. Pineapplefish View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lemon TYK (@kaithefishguy) on Dec 5, 2018 at 6:17am PST The pineapplefish’ name is equally as cool as its markings. These fish are orange by day and blue-green by night and they have a bioluminiscent organ, called a photophore, on either side of its lower jaw. 7. Sea spiders View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lisa Beasley (@lisambeasley) on Jan 3, 2018 at 8:48am PST Nothing terrifies me more than spiders and the fact that sea spiders exist is harrowing, even if they aren’t true spiders. These creepy crawlies can vary in size, from 1 cm to 1 metre, lovely. 8. Slipper lobster View this post on Instagram A post shared by YM Travel Log (@namatabi_ym) on Sep 8, 2019 at 3:55am PDT These cute crustaceans are similar to lobsters but have a set of large, shovel-like antennae. The slipper lobster is closely related to spiny and coral lobsters. 9. Unicornfish View this post on Instagram A post shared by Oceana (@oceana) on Sep 4, 2016 at 7:40am PDT Where there’s sea spiders, there are unicornfish. These fish have sharp spins on their tail base and if provoked, they will attack. 10. Red lionfish View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miguel Vila (@miguevila) on Nov 9, 2018 at 7:59am PST The king of the sea, the red lionfish is a sea creature you admire from afar. Their mane is made from spiky dorsal fins that are venemous but not deadly. Image: Unsplash Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more
Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more
Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more