Fish
Leatherjacket Unicorn
Aluterus monoceros
A sandy-grey filefish speckled with brown spots, ranging our whole coast from Saldanha Bay to Beira.
Also known as eenhoring- leerbaadjie
- Typical size
- Attains 75 cm
- Habitat
- Coastal tropical and subtropical waters
The unicorn leatherjacket is a filefish, sandy to grey in colour and often peppered with brown spots along the upper body, its soft fins pale yellowish to brown and the tail membranes dark. Juveniles wear a net-like pattern of pale lines around grey blotches, which can linger on smaller adults.
It attains 75 cm and occurs worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas, ranging along our coast from Saldanha Bay to Beira.