Photo by Helene Clarke, of a juvenile kelp klipfish.
Another juvenile, 45 mm long. Photo by Guido Zsilavecz
And an adult, 100 mm long. Photo by Guido Zsilavecz
Kelp klipfish are one of the rarer species of klipfish. Secretive, they generally hide within thick seaweed, and prefer not to be in the open. As with many other klipfishes, its colouration is highly variable. Especially the young can be brightly coloured, with the head regularly in a contrasting colour. So far I've seen yellow, pink, cream, green, olive and brown, with the head often red, as shown. Southern african klipfish often have the first three dorsal fin-rays elevated into a crest - the kelp klipfish has such a crest, but it can be formed by more than the first three spines. The crest is rounded, and never very tall though. The most distinctive feature of this fish is the rounded head with a very visible pore system, giving the head a rather rough appearance. It is a sluggish species, and they seem to rely more on camouflage than trying to escape, although they will do that as well.
According to Smiths' the species occurs only on the West Coast south to Cape Point, but if anything I've seen it more often in False Bay than on the Atlantic side, and have even seen one in Hermanus. The fish can be found within a variety of seaweed species, but in none consistently, so you cannot really search for it. Common locations to find it are A-Frame, Pyramid Rock, Windmill and Oudekraal.
See "Coastal fishes of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay", available from SURG, for more details.
Coastal fishes of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay, a divers' identification guide, G Zsilavecz, 2005.
Smiths' Sea Fishes, MM Smith and PC Heemstra, 1986.