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.

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Some of the subjects in this publication

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

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