Fish
West Coast Steenbras
Lithognathus aureti
A large silvery steenbras of the cool west coast surf, prized by shore anglers along the Namibian and northern Cape shoreline.
Also known as kabeljou steenbras, namibian steenbras, weskus steenbras, westcoast steenbras
- Typical size
- Commonly 50-90 cm, larger fish occur
- Habitat
- West coast surf zone and sandy bays
- Depth
- Shallow surf water to about 20 m
The west coast steenbras is a big, elongated seabream, silvery-grey with a long pointed snout and, in larger fish, faint darker markings on the flanks. Like its relatives it feeds head-down over sand, using strong jaws and crushing teeth to take mussels, crustaceans, worms and other invertebrates from the surf-swept bottom.
It is a cool-water species of the west coast surf zone and sandy bays, ranging along the Namibian coast into the northern reaches of the Western Cape. A powerful, slow-growing fish that reaches a good size, it is highly regarded by shore anglers. Its slow growth and coastal habitat make it vulnerable to overfishing, so responsible catch-and-release and bag limits matter for the population.