Fish
Fransmadam
Boopsoidea inornata
A small, silvery southern-African seabream that shoals over reef in big numbers - a constant background fish on these spots.
Also known as frans madam
- Typical size
- Commonly 20-30 cm
- Habitat
- Shoaling over rocky reef
- Depth
- Shallows to ~100 m
The fransmadam is a modest silver-grey seabream endemic to southern Africa, often seen in loose shoals drifting just off the reef. It rarely grows large, so it seldom draws a spear, but it is a reliable indicator of healthy reef and turns up on list after list.
It feeds on small invertebrates and weed, and its constant presence over the reef makes it one of the most familiar - if least glamorous - fish a diver meets here.