Fish
Robust Klipvis
Clinus robustus
A stout Cape klipvis of shallow rocky reefs and kelp, superbly camouflaged among weed in the cool inshore.
Also known as klipfish, klipvis(robust), robust klipfish
- Typical size
- Commonly 10-20 cm
- Habitat
- Shallow rocky reef, kelp and pools
- Depth
- Intertidal to about 10 m
The robust klipvis is one of the many klipfish endemic to southern Africa's temperate rocky shores, a thickset, elongate fish able to change colour to match the reds, browns and greens of the weed it hides in. Like its relatives it bears live young rather than laying eggs, an adaptation to the surge zone.
It lives among rocks, kelp and weed in the shallow inshore of the Western and Eastern Cape, often in gullies and rock pools. Divers and snorkellers usually notice it only when it darts to fresh cover. It is a small, cryptic species of no angling value and is simply part of the rich Cape reef fauna.