Fish
Dageraad
Chrysoblephus cristiceps
A spectacularly coloured endemic reef seabream whose Dutch name means "dawn", for the waves of colour that cross a fresh fish.
Also known as dageraad bream
- Habitat
- Rocky reefs, endemic to South Africa
The dageraad changes markedly in colour and markings from juvenile to adult, and a freshly landed adult is one of the most beautiful of all fish - waves of shifting colour pass across the body, which is how it earned the old Dutch name dageraad, meaning dawn.
Like the roman, it is protogynous, maturing first as a female and later changing into a male. It is a resident reef fish endemic to South Africa.