Cape Knifejaw

Photo: Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA

The Cape knifejaw is an endemic South African reef fish that reaches impressive sizes at Coral Gardens, where the rich invertebrate community provides abundant food. These striking fish use their fused beak-like teeth — the adaptation that gives them their name — to crunch through encrusting animals and hard-shelled invertebrates on the reef surface. They are bold and often approach divers closely, and their distinctively patterned juvenile and adult phases make tracking individual fish's life stages a rewarding activity for repeat visitors.