Fish
Banksteenbras Fingerfin
Chirodactylus grandis
The largest of the fingerfins, a prized-eating reef fish that grows to a metre and ranges from Namibia down and around the Cape.
Also known as bank steenbras, bank- steenbras, pink bank steenbras
- Typical size
- Attains at least 1 m
- Habitat
- Offshore reefs and banks
- Depth
- 20-150 m
The banksteenbras is the giant of its family, attaining at least a metre in length, with flesh that is highly esteemed. It carries the thickened, feeler-like lower pectoral rays typical of the fingerfins.
It occurs from Walvis Bay possibly as far as Natal, ranging from around 20 m in False Bay out to 150 m on the Cape south coast reefs and banks. It is taken by trawlers and, less often, by line boats fishing with fish bait; records from Natal are likely to be the closely related Natal species.