| Actual Image
Reflective Luminance (90)
loot
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5361 W: 591 N: 3590]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (9861) | River bream - Acanthopagrus berda
I am still taking a wee break from my Kruger Park series and once again I delved into my archives to find something you hopefully will enjoy. This photo was taken during a visit to the fabulous uShaka Marine World in Durban, sometime after my knee operation last year and it is the first photo of this species on TrekNature. I was in a wheel chair for the visit and my caring, supportive, and appreciated wife (all 5 feet 2 inches of her) pushed me around all day long. So this photo is dedicated to her, just to say THANK YOU. I can assure you that we had great fun and a number of very interesting and enjoyable moments. The terrain at uShaka is all but flat and it is amazing what speed one can get out of a run-away wheelchair while gunning down a steep decline with unsuspecting visitors and tourists scrambling for safety.
This fish came pretty close to the glass to inspect me and I managed to get this in-your-face close-up to show the amazing luminance in the rainbow of reflective colours on its scales.
If you might be interested you can view some of my other postings from this wonderful facility where I've also included some information on the Aquarium here, here, or here. Or just visit the uShaka web-page.
Other names
Perch, black porgy, picnic bream, or pikey bream.
Description
This deep-bodied fish has a fairly steep head profile and a pointed snout. It is normally silvery-grey with brassy reflections and a white underside. They can reach up to 75cm in length, but is most common at about 55cm. They can live for longer than 13 years. The colour of individual fish can vary depending on habitat, with fish from muddy upper regions of rivers being much darker (almost black or dark olive-brown) than those further down stream. This understandably, often leads to confusion and misidentification. This species can also change colour after being caught. Sexually mature at 3 years (around 49cm).
Exceptionally well-developed spines dominate the dorsal and anal fins. The pectoral and pelvic fins are also well developed and the caudal fin is forked.
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: South Africa (no records from Mauritius and Réunion) to India extending to Japan & northern Australia.
Habitat
Mainly marine; commonly found in coastal areas and estuaries or around river mouths, on sand and mud substrata and sometimes close to sandstone reefs at depths of 10-50m.
Diet
Includes small bottom invertebrates (worms, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms).
Source: "Common Sea Fishes of Southern Africa" by Rudy van der Elst, Struik publishers.
Post Processing was done with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0. |
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