The Coastal Guide of South Africa

Author: Jacana Media

Number of pages: 130

Year published: 2007

Edition: 1st

Published by: Jacana Media

Softcover

ISBN: 978 1 77009 248 8

Web site: Jacana Media

The Wildebeest's Review of The Coastal Guide of South Africa

The Coastal Guide of South Africa is a bright, colourful guide to some of the mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, invertebrates, and plants that one might encounter along the extensive shoreline of South Africa. It also includes a section on marine and fishing regulations.

When I see a book with a title such as “The Coastal Guide of South Africa” I think that it is a book that I can take to the beach and identify some of the creatures and plants that I might encounter. I must admit that it doesn’t entirely meet that criteria. It is only 130 pages in length and is therefore restricted in the number of species that can be included. Of these 35 pages are devoted to fish which one is very unlikely to see, from the beach at least, and a further 25 pages to the introductory topics, regulations and index.

The artwork, by Sally MacLarty and Penny Noall, is attractive and gives accurate depictions of the animals and plants that I am familiar with. The text is brief but does give key information about each species. I feel that small distribution maps could have been included instead of using terms such as “north, south and east”.

Apart from the above criticisms I do like this book and would recommend that you buy a copy if you find it in a second-hand bookstore or flea market. Take it to the beach with you on your next seaside holiday.

---

Some of the subjects in this publication

Killer Whale - Page: 16
Humpback Whale - Page: 16
Common Dolphin - Page: 16
Bottlenosed Dolphin - Page: 16
Indian Humpback Dolphin - Page: 16
Southern Right Whale - Page: 18
Cape Fur Seal - Page: 18
Cape Clawless Otter - Page: 18
Sperm Whale - Page: 18
Green Sea Turtle - Page: 22
Leatherback Sea Turtle - Page: 22
Loggerhead Sea Turtle - Page: 22
Yellow-bellied Sea Snake - Page: 22
Great White Shark - Page: 26
Copper Shark - Page: 26
Pyjama catshark or Striped catshark - Page: 26
Zambezi or Bull Shark - Page: 26
Ragged-tooth shark or Spotted ragged-tooth shark - Page: 26
Whale Shark - Page: 26
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark - Page: 26
Blue Stingray - Page: 28
Tiger Shark - Page: 28
Lesser Sandshark or Lesser Guitarfish - Page: 28
Sharpnose Stingray - Page: 28
Honeycomb Stingray - Page: 28
Smalltooth Sawfish - Page: 28
Sardine - Page: 30
Spotted Eagle Ray - Page: 30
Bullray - Page: 30
Floral Moray - Page: 30
Estuarine Round-Herring - Page: 30
Honeycomb Moray Eel - Page: 30
Ox-eye Tarpon - Page: 32
Cape Silverside - Page: 32
White Seacatfish - Page: 32
Cape Anchovy - Page: 32
Kingklip - Page: 32
Shallow-water Hake - Page: 32
Knysna Seahorse - Page: 34
Stonefish - Page: 34
Devil Firefish - Page: 34
Raggy Scorpionfish - Page: 34
Razorfish - Page: 34
Spotted Grunter - Page: 36
Sea Goldie - Page: 36
Coral Rockcod - Page: 36
Catface Rockcod - Page: 36
Yellowbelly Rockcod - Page: 36
White Stumpnose - Page: 38
Red Roman - Page: 38
Blue Emperor - Page: 38
Pinky - Page: 38
Natal Stumpnose - Page: 38
Cape Stumpnose - Page: 38
White Steenbras - Page: 40
Blacktail Seabream - Page: 40
Hottentot - Page: 40
Seventy-four - Page: 40
Zebra Seabream - Page: 40
Strepie - Page: 40
Red Steenbras - Page: 40
Carpenter - Page: 42
White Musselcracker - Page: 42
Slinger - Page: 42
Dageraad - Page: 42
Bronze Bream - Page: 42
Black Musselcracker - Page: 42
Slender Baardman - Page: 44
Galjoen - Page: 44
Geelbek - Page: 44
Dusky Kob - Page: 44
Stonebream - Page: 44
Doublesash Butterflyfish - Page: 46
Old Woman - Page: 46
Emperor Angelfish - Page: 46
Moorish Idol - Page: 46
Raccoon Butterflyfish - Page: 46
Limespot Butterflyfish - Page: 46
Threadfin Butterflyfish - Page: 46
Cape Yellowtail - Page: 48
Giant Kingfish - Page: 48
Garrick - Page: 48
Cape Moony - Page: 48
African Pompano - Page: 48
Shad - Page: 50
Snoek - Page: 50
Wahoo - Page: 50
Dorado - Page: 50
Eastern Little Tuna - Page: 50
Largespotted Pompano - Page: 50
Sailfish - Page: 52
Yellowfin Tuna - Page: 52
Queen Mackerel - Page: 52
Black Marlin - Page: 52
King Mackerel - Page: 52
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse - Page: 54
Shark Ramora - Page: 54
Twotone Fingerfin - Page: 54
Goldbar Wrasse - Page: 54
Spot Damsel - Page: 54
Sergeant Major - Page: 54
Flathead Mullet - Page: 56
Ember Parrotfish - Page: 56
Twobar Clownfish - Page: 56
Blacksaddle Goatfish - Page: 56
Powder-blue Surgeonfish - Page: 58
Mudskipper - Page: 58
Knysna Sandgoby - Page: 58
Super Klipfish - Page: 58
Maned Blenny - Page: 58
Convict Surgeon - Page: 58
Evileyed Puffer - Page: 60
East Coast Sole - Page: 60
Clown Triggerfish - Page: 60
Boxy - Page: 60
Cape Sole - Page: 60
Green Zoanthid - Page: 64
Squat Sandy Zoanthid - Page: 64
False Plum Anemone - Page: 64
Plum Anemone - Page: 64
Encrusting Turret-sponge - Page: 64
Natal Anemone - Page: 64
Comb Jelly - Page: 66
Feathery Sea Pen - Page: 66
Toothed Feather-hydroid - Page: 66
Honeycomb-corals - Page: 66
Thistle Soft-corals - Page: 66
Fleshy Soft Coral - Page: 66
Knob-horned Coral - Page: 66
Root-mouthed Jellyfish - Page: 66
By-the-wind Sailor - Page: 68
Bloodworm - Page: 68
Feather-duster Worm - Page: 68
Raft Hydroid - Page: 68
Portuguese Man-of-War - Page: 68
Cape Reef-worm - Page: 68
Mussel Worm - Page: 68
Pink Prawn - Page: 70
Cape Rock Lobster - Page: 70
Mole Crab - Page: 70
Estuarine Mud Prawn - Page: 70
East Coast Rock Lobster - Page: 70
Knysna Crab - Page: 72
Crown Crab - Page: 72
Pink Ghost Crab - Page: 72
Cape Rock Crab - Page: 72
Marsh Crab - Page: 72
Three-spot Swimming Crab - Page: 72
Common Shore Crab - Page: 72
Natal Lightfoot Crab - Page: 72
Common Sand Hermit Crab - Page: 72
Wide-foot Beach Louse - Page: 74
Eight-shell Barnacle - Page: 74
Sea-slater - Page: 74
Seaweed Amphipod - Page: 74
Rosy Valcano Barnacle - Page: 74
Beach Hopper - Page: 74
Yellow-rimmed Goose Barnacle - Page: 74
Black Mussel - Page: 76
Mediterranean Mussel - Page: 76
White Mussel or Wedge Shell - Page: 76
Scrolled False Coral - Page: 76
Horse Mussel - Page: 76
Brown Mussel - Page: 76
Pencil Bait - Page: 78
Cape Rock Oyster - Page: 78
Spiny Chiton - Page: 78
Angular Surf Clam - Page: 78
Smooth Trough Shell - Page: 78
Giant Chiton or Armadillo - Page: 78
Natal Rock Oyster - Page: 78
Pink-rayed Limpet - Page: 80
Variable Limpet - Page: 80
Goats Eye Limpet - Page: 80
Pear Limpet - Page: 80
Ducks Foot or Long-spined Limpet - Page: 80
Lustrous Limpet - Page: 80
Cape False Limpet - Page: 80
Koedoesberg war memorial - Page: 82
Alikreukel or Giant Turban - Page: 82
Pink-lipped Topshell - Page: 82
Slipper Limpet - Page: 82
Saddle Shaped Keyhole Limpet - Page: 82
Smooth Turban Shell - Page: 82
Variegated Topshell - Page: 82
African Periwinkle - Page: 82
Tick Shell - Page: 84
Threaded Screw Shell - Page: 84
Pleated Plough Shell - Page: 84
Furry-ridged Triton - Page: 84
Finger Plough Shell - Page: 84
Pubescent Burnupena - Page: 84
Scaly Dogwhelk - Page: 84
Spotted Sea Hare - Page: 86
Bubble Raft Shell or Violet Snail - Page: 86
Arabic Cowrie - Page: 86
Coral nudibranch - Page: 86
Mottled Necklace Shell - Page: 86
Common Octopus - Page: 88
Rams Horn Shell - Page: 88
Chokka or Calimari - Page: 88
Common Cuttlefish - Page: 88
Red Starfish - Page: 88
Spiny Starfish - Page: 90
Oval Urchin - Page: 90
Dwarf Cushion Star - Page: 90
Crown-of-thorns Starfish - Page: 90
Hairy Brittlestar - Page: 90
Cape Urchin - Page: 92
Pansy Shell Urchin - Page: 92
Heart Urchin - Page: 92
Red Bait - Page: 92
Tufted Sea Cucumber - Page: 92
Grey-headed Gull - Page: 96
Common Tern - Page: 96
Cape Gannet - Page: 96
Caspian Tern - Page: 96
Hartlaubs Gull - Page: 96
African Penguin - Page: 96
Pied Kingfisher - Page: 98
Giant Kingfisher - Page: 98
Osprey - Page: 98
Swift Tern - Page: 98
Kelp Gull - Page: 98
African Fish-Eagle - Page: 98
Sanderling - Page: 100
African Black Oystercatcher - Page: 100
White-fronted Plover - Page: 100
Ruff - Page: 100
Common Whimbrel - Page: 100
Pied Avocet - Page: 100
Ruddy Turnstone - Page: 100
African Pied Wagtail - Page: 100
Wood Sandpiper - Page: 102
Great White Pelican - Page: 102
Grey Heron - Page: 102
Cape Cormorant - Page: 102
Little Egret - Page: 102
Goliath Heron - Page: 102
White-breasted Cormorant - Page: 102
Coastal Strelitzia - Page: 106
Black Mangrove - Page: 106
White Mangrove - Page: 106
Coast Silver-oak - Page: 106
Camphor Bush - Page: 106
Red Mangrove - Page: 106
White Milkwood - Page: 108
Large-leaved Dragon-tree - Page: 108
Dune Guarri - Page: 108
Coastal Red-milkwood - Page: 108
Waxy Currant-rhus - Page: 108
Dune Poison-bush - Page: 108
Strand Aloe - Page: 110
Krantz Aloe - Page: 110
Cross-berry Raisin - Page: 110
Bush Tickberry - Page: 110
Natal Plum - Page: 110
Dune Crow-berry - Page: 110
Coast Olive - Page: 110
Dune Waxberry - Page: 110
Natal Dune Vygie - Page: 112
Matting Rush - Page: 112
Bulrush - Page: 112
Common Gazania - Page: 112
Common Reed - Page: 112
Beach Bean - Page: 112
Christmas Berry - Page: 112
Coastal Buffalo Grass - Page: 112
Hottentot Sourfig (see 28893) - Page: 112
Purple Senecio - Page: 114
Beach Plakkie - Page: 114
Glasswort Samphire - Page: 114
Salt Marsh Plant - Page: 114
Soutbossie - Page: 114
Sea Lavender - Page: 114
Sea Pumpkin - Page: 114
Dune Ehrharta - Page: 114
Cape Eelgrass - Page: 114
Different-leafed Sargassum - Page: 116
Strap Caulerpa - Page: 116
Wedge Weed - Page: 116
Saw-edged Jelly-weed - Page: 116
Sea Lettuce - Page: 116
Turkey-tail - Page: 116
Coralline Algae - Page: 116
Split-fan Kelp - Page: 116

---

Top