Coastal Fishes of Southern Africa – Phil & Elaine Heemstra
This is a useful book with a lot of good information about the species described. As I’ve used the book I’ve gotten more and more familiar with the different shapes that characterise the different kinds of fish. The contents page usefully categorises the fish by physical attributes.
It’s tricky to use as a fish identification guide sometimes, because the colours of the fish are drawn and painted (no photos) as you’d see them on the surface, or in very little water – not as at 20 metres. So the reds are brighter than you’d expect. I’ve found this book invaluable, despite having to get used to not skipping over fish that look “too bright” in my quest to figure out what I’ve seen on a dive.
There’s a lot of good information about the behaviour of the different species, so it’s a very useful source of information after you’ve identified what you’ve seen. I tend to use Two Oceans or A Field Guide to the Marine Animals of the Cape Peninsula (reviews to follow) for a first-pass idenfitication, and then this book to get a better idea of how the animal behaves, breeds and feeds.
Get your copy here if you’re in South Africa, otherwise click here.
