Photo by Hanief Ally
A juvenile about 2 cm short. Photo by Guido Zsilavecz
The hottentot is the most commonly seen fish in our waters. They follow divers everywhere, waiting for anything divers may stir up with their clumsy swimming techniques. While adult hottentot are inquisitive and friendly, their young generally are not. In build they are much stockier than adults, and have a brighter brown colour, rather than the drab brown-grey of adults. Very young are even partially transparent. Juveniles are as common as adults but less often seen as they prefer to stay close to cover, be it within cracks or caves, or near thick kelp - anywhere they can quickly disappear in. While their skittish behaviour and quick erratic swimming technique allows they to avoid potential predators, it does make these young fish very hard to photograph!
As with adults juveniles form small schools, although they may be seen singly as well. While they can be found at most divesites around the Peninsula, one of the best places to observe them is Long Beach, as there any hiding place is surrounded by sand and the fish are less likely to move far. At Oudekraal some of the caves closer inshore are also popular hiding places, as is the thick kelp above reefs at A-Frame and Windmill.
See "Coastal fishes of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay", page 38 for the description, page 86 for photos, for more details. The book is now available directly from SURG or from better dive shops in Cape Town.
Coastal fishes of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay, a divers' identification guide, G Zsilavecz, 2005.