Fish
Bronze bream
Pachymetopon grande
A shy, seaweed-grazing reef bream of shallow rocky ground, prized by anglers for how hard it fights.
Also known as bruin hottentot, copper bream
- Typical size
- Attains about 65 cm
- Habitat
- Shallow rocky reefs, Cape to Madagascar
The bronze bream is a shallow-water reef fish found only from the Cape to Madagascar, feeding mainly on seaweeds over rocky ground. Older fish develop a distinct bulge between the eyes, and the species reaches around 65 cm.
It spawns in winter and spring. Anglers rate it a premier catch - it can be maddeningly difficult to hook, taking only the freshest redbait or prawn, but bites fiercely and fights hard once on.