Juvenile jutjaw. Photo Hanief Ally Juvenile jutjaw. Photo Guido Zsilavecz Juvenile zebras. Photo Helene Clarke Adult jutjaw. Photo Guido Zsilavecz	Jutjaw Parascorpis typus With its zebra-pattern, the juvenile jutjaw is easy to confuse with a juvenile zebra. The differences to look for are the ventral or pelvic fins, which are much larger than those of the zebra, the overall shape, with the zebra being deeper bodied, as well as the head - the jutjaw has a more pointed head, and usually the very large mouth is clearly visible. The zebra pattern fades on growing, with adults assuming an overall pink, olive or silver colour. This change occurs when the fish is less than 10 cm long. Jutjaw's occur on both sides of the Peninsula, but are more common on reefs in False Bay. They prefer kelp areas, and are usually found singly or in small groups, hanging around the base of the kelp fronds. Juveniles tend to be found in cracks and crevices, often in small groups. Adults can be inquisitive, and will approach divers, but usually stay in the background. Juveniles are skittish. For more details on the jutjaw and the zebra, see "Coastal Fishes of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay", available from better diveshops in Cape Town or directly from SURG.
References: 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.
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