Red steenbras
📖 Overview
Found near rocky banks in coastal waters including estuaries. Adults solitary and territorial. Feeds on octopus, crabs and fish, especially Spondyliosoma. The flesh is highly esteemed, but the liver is poisonous due to high vitamin A content which causes hypervitaminosis. Popular angling fish. Largest of the porgies.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. Reddish, bronzy or golden-yellow in color; young with a blotch behind dorsal fin.: fusiform / normal.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Red steenbras is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 10 - ? m. Subtropical; 28°S - 34°S Southeast Atlantic: Mossel Bay to Natal in South Africa.
🌿 Ecology
octopus, crabs and fish, especially Spondyliosoma
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
⚠️ Venom Profile
- immediate intense pain
- swelling
- erythema
- occasional nausea and weakness
Analgesia; wound care; tetanus prophylaxis; severe cases may require monitoring for systemic effects.
References: Compiled from Bhide (2018), Halstead et al. (1988) and family-specific envenomation literature
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Copper Steenbras · Good Hope steenbras · Red steenbras · Yellow Steenbras |
| 🌍AFR | Rooisteenbras |
| 🌍CES | pražman velký |
| 🇫🇷French | Denté du Cap |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Sargo-da-Boa-Esperança |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Жёлтый каменный зубан |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Dentón Del Cabo · Dentón Rupestre |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 南非強齒鯛 |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 2 records indexed .
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