Klipvis

This klipvis is an elongate, tapering clinid with a small fleshy barbel or beard on the chin and a long spiny dorsal fin running the length of the back. Its mottled brown, green and reddish colouring changes to match the algae and rock around it, making it a master of camouflage.

It is a Cape endemic of the cool temperate coast, tucked among rocky reefs, kelp holdfasts and weed-covered ledges of the Western and Eastern Cape, where it lies still and ambushes small crustaceans and other prey. Divers combing the kelp will find it resting motionless against the rock, relying on stillness rather than flight; it is of no danger to people.