Fish
Cape Snoek
Thyrsites atun
The Cape's famous long, silver predator, a slashing, fast pelagic with a mouthful of teeth and a place at the heart of local fishing culture.
Also known as snoek
- Habitat
- Cool coastal pelagic waters
Snoek is a long, strongly compressed and slender-bodied pelagic predator, first described from the Cape of Good Hope. Armed with sharp teeth, it is a voracious hunter of baitfish in the cool waters off the Cape.
A cornerstone of the South African line fishery, it is fished commercially and by handline, and is as much a food and cultural staple as a sportfish. Fast and aggressive, it feeds in shoals and hits lures and bait hard.