FISH & SEAFOOD : FRESH OR FROZEN

Gurnard [fish]

Chelidonichthys capensis

Other Common Names

Gurnard/Cape Gurnard/Cape Sea Ribon (RSA), Grondin Du Cap (France), Rubio Del Cabo (Spain)

Other Scientific Names

Trigla capensis

Etymology

Chelidonichthys - meaning 'swallow like fish'
Capensis - meaning 'of the Cape'
Cape Gurnard is derived from the old French word gornart, which means to grunt, presumably a reverence to the noises it makes when it's captured.

Features

Cape Gurnard has a broad flattened head and an elongated body, which are protected by a bony plate. This fish has an overall body colouration of red, with strikingly beautiful blue - green and black markings on its large pectoral axils. Cape Gurnard can be distinguished by its three spiny 'legs', on each side of the body, which they mainly use to stir up food from the soft sandy bottom.

Size : 35 cm | Weight : 0.5 kg

Ecology

Cape Gurnard are bottom - feeding scorpaeniform fishes, found over sandy and muddy bottoms in coastal areas to depth of 300m, where they primarily feed on crustaceans and some small fish species.

Distribution

Occur from the Orange River to Umfolozi River, on the East coast of South Africa. They are targeted by fishermen using hand - lines from vessels.

Regulation