Fish
Blacktail
Diplodus sargus capensis
A silvery, bold little seabream with a black saddle on the tail base - the ever-present dassie of the shallows.
Also known as blacktail bream, dassie, kolstert
- Typical size
- A small inshore seabream
- Habitat
- Shallow rocky shores and surf zone
The blacktail, or dassie, is a small silvery seabream marked by a dark saddle across the base of the tail. It is one of the most abundant and approachable fish of shallow rocky shores and the surf zone, hanging in loose groups and quick to investigate a diver.
For its size it is a spirited fighter - J.L.B. Smith reckoned that, pound for pound, the blacktail has twice the vigour of any trout.