Two male super klipfish Clinus superciliosus sizing each other up.
The wound in the one klipfish
Photos by Dieter Stegemann
Super klipfish show sexual dimorphism, that is, the male and female are visibly different, something which is most obvious when looking at the dorsal fin crest. The first three spines on the dorsal fin are elevated, where in the males the crest is substantially higher than in females. The males, which remain within a certain area, challenge each other and fight. As is common in the animal world, much of the fighting is pure show, with the fish raising and lowering its crest, and puffing the gill covers out to appear bigger. They slowly circle each other, now and then darting off and returning. While occasionally contact is made, with one fish bumping into each other, not much damage, if any, is done. Klipfish have teeth, and are carnivorous, but their teeth are small, and more suited to small prey. The wound shown on the one klipfish is thus unlikely to have been made by the other one, and its origin can only be guessed.
For further details on Super Klipfish, see Coastal Fishes of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay, available directly from SURG.
Coastal fishes of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay, a divers' identification guide, G Zsilavecz, 2005.