In Cape Town we find evil eye puffer fish, the gorgeously chubby creatures that have the ability to inflate their bodies when they feel threatened. Their flesh is deadly poisonous and they are considered a menace by anglers because of their bait-stealing tendencies.
They are often found buried in the sand – we found hundreds when we dived the North Battery pipeline – but sometimes you find them swimming about in the water column. They are ambush predators, hiding in the sand waiting for crabs and other small fish to eat. They don’t have teeth as such, but rather a sort of fused beak for biting.
They are not good swimmers at all, and are extremely docile when you swim over them or accidentally put your hand down next to them on the sand. They aren’t harmful to touch, but should under no circumstances be eaten.
I found this tiny, tiny chap at Long Beach – he was as big as the first joint of one of my fingers. He’s hard to spot in these two photos, but I promise he’s there! This is camouflage at its finest.
We seem to see them in the greatest numbers when cold, cold water floods into False Bay – often after a strong north-west wind.
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