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The tiny sand shrimp is a scavenger, common in intertidal pools and rocky coasts along the west coast of Southern Africa and the southern Cape. These shrimps have transparent bodies, except for thin black vertical stripes and small yellow spots at their joints. Their internal organs are easily visible. Above the eyes is a protruding part of the carapace called the rostrum, which has jagged saw-like edges. Sand shrimps are “carideans” which, unlike cleaner shrimps, are not hermaphrodites. Females lay hundreds of thousands of eggs, which hatch and rapidly grow through several planktonic phases. The juvenile shrimp migrate to estuaries where they mature, eventually migrating to the sandy ocean floor in large groups. The sand shrimp has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The red Sea stars (we don’t call them starfish anymore, because they’re not really fish!) is a prominent species, common off the South African coast. They are covered by deep orange or red skin resembling tiny overlapping tiles. This starfish has five fairly short arms that taper away from its body. The underside of the red starfish is flat so its arms resemble semi-circles in cross section. Red starfish are true detritivores, scavenging on decomposing plant and animal tissue and waste. The red starfish has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List.

Brown burnies are rather drab compared to other butterflyfish. Other than a dull yellow head they are almost entirely brown. Even their eye bar, characteristic of butterflyfish, is brown. They are solitary, but sometimes pair up for hunting when they pursue small invertebrates. The brown burnie is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and has a stable population.

The diamondback goby is a small fish that lives near and on the seabed. It relies on the sand for its food and shelter. When viewed from above, it is perfectly camouflaged to hide from large predators. Its slender body is white and speckled with elongated orange spots. Occasionally it has bright blue spots on the sides of its head. The goby burrows through the sand, searching for carrion or small invertebrates to feed on. It often takes shelter inside these burrows, especially when there is debris to provide it with greater protection. It burrows by picking up mouthfuls of sand and sifting it though its gills in search of food particles. The diamondback goby is classified by the IUCN as Least Concern, but it is not known if its population is stable.

These small black fish are characterised by the prominent white spots on their foreheads and sides. However, the spots are not displayed by mature adults. Like clownfish, juvenile dominoes sometimes hide among the tentacles of anemones or the spines of sea urchins. Dominoes are predators, hunting small zooplankton. The domino has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List.

Like other members of the genus Lysmata, the fire shrimp is a cleaner shrimp. Cleaner shrimps are notable for their symbiotic relationships with other species, removing parasites and dead tissue from reef fish. They are common in warm water reefs along the east African coast. These shrimps are characterised by their red bodies and the white tips of their third, fourth and fifth sets of legs. Like the skunk shrimp, they have long white antennae. They also have large white spots on their cephalothorax, a distinctive feature as other similar species tend to have spots on their abdomen as well. The adult fire shrimp carries its eggs in a set of arms (pleopods) under its body. When hatched, the shrimp larvae free-float as plankton, until they have matured sufficiently. All fire shrimps are hermaphrodites and able to act as a female after moulting and a male between moults. Fire shrimps are fiercely territorial and will attack other shrimps infringing on their territory. They are able to tell members of their own species apart, and form a long-term bond with a mate. The fire shrimp has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

This sea cucumber is uniformly black and like other sea cucumbers, its body is divided lengthwise into five distinct bands. The sea cucumber’s underside , or sole, has four rows of hydraulic tube feet on each of the bands. The black sea cucumber’s upper surface also has tube feet, but these are less dense than those on its sole. The mouth of the black sea cucumber is surrounded by ten branching tentacles which it uses to trap small prey animals. Black sea cucumbers live on the rocky shores along South Africa’s eastern and southern coasts. They typically wedge themselves into crevasses near the low-tide mark. Black sea cucumbers go through three life stages. Eggs are fertilized externally and hatch into larvae that free-float and feed on plankton. These larvae develop into doliolariae, barrel-shaped plankton that do not feed, but seek out a reef to latch onto. The final phase develops when the tentacles grow from the doliolariae and they begin to feed, eventually growing tube feet.

Kingklip is a species of cusk eel, and a common table fish eaten in South Africa. Cusk eels look like a cross between a “typical fish” and an eel. Their bodies are elongated and their tail, dorsal and anal fins are joined. They are a pinkish-brown colour. Kingklip are bottom-dwelling fish, found at depths of 50 to 550 m. These predators navigate the dark waters at night and hunt small fish and invertebrates. Kingklip have a varied rating on the WWF SASSI List, with an Orange “Think Twice” label associated with kingklip caught using offshore demersal trawling – a fishing method for hake that drags nets across the seabed, indiscriminate about bycatch. Green-listed kingklip is available in South Africa and caught by a fishing technique known as demersal longline, targeting hake. By using this technique, kingklip bycatch is limited to sustainable amounts. A related species, Genypterus blacodes, or the New Zealand ling is sometimes sold as “kingklip” and is also Green-alternative. Kingklip has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The skunk cleaner shrimp is a member of the Lysmata genus, a group of shrimps notable for their symbiotic relationships with other species, such as moray eels. Cleaner shrimps commonly designate a specific part of their reef as a ‘cleaning station’, where they perform a simple dance. This dance signals to passing fishes that the shrimp is available to perform cleaning services such as removing parasites and dead tissue. Commonly these shrimps cohabitate with large fish, such as groupers or moray eels, in crevasses or caves, the fish will protect the shrimp in return for the health benefits. The shrimp are omnivorous, and are quite capable of hunting other invertebrates (including rival cleaner shrimps), but usually only do so when there is competition for resources. Skunk cleaner shrimps are characterised by their long white antennae. As they mature, a white stripe develops along the back of their carapace, dividing two vivid red bands. Unfortunately for the skunk shrimp, their poor eyesight and colour-blindness has led scientists to believe that they are unable see each other’s beautiful patterns. The adult skunk cleaner shrimp carries its eggs in a set of arms (pleopods) under its body. The eggs hatch into larvae that free-float as plankton, hunting other planktonic animals until taking a more mature shrimp form. All skunk shrimps start life as males, but become functional hermaphrodites once fully mature. It is believed that skunk cleaner shrimps are monogamous, and spend their entire lives with a single mate. These mates will take turns protecting the other when they moult, and will also alternate male and female roles between breeding cycles. The skunk cleaner shrimp has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The old woman angelfish is regarded as a rather dull looking fish. It is a bronze-brown colour with paler hindquarters. Juveniles of the species have blue vertical bars, which they lose at maturity. The old woman angelfish lives in small groups near the coast (east coast of Africa), feeding on algae and seafloor invertebrates. Juveniles remain in tidal pools or are swept away by the Agulhas current. The old woman angelfish is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN and has a stable population.

The vagabond butterflyfish is identifiable by its complex colour pattern. Vertical black bands run across its eyes and between its tail and body. Eight thin, black stripes run from its dorsal fin to its face, and fourteen more stripes intercept these from its sides. It is visually similar to the closely related threadfin butterflyfish, but lacks the eyespot and dorsal fin filament. Vagabond butterflyfish inhabit lagoons, reefs and river mouths across Africa’s east coast, the Red Sea and Japan. These butterflyfish form monogamous pairs that defend their feeding territory. Together the duo search for worms, algae and crustaceans to supplement their omnivorous diet. IUCN status is Least Concern with stable populations.

Threadfin butterflyfish have predominantly white faces and bodies, with yellow hindquarters. They display a thick black stripe across their eyes, and a black eyespot is present on the dorsal fin. Mature adults have a small, yellow trailing filament on their dorsal fins. Threadfin butterflyfish inhabit the slopes of coral reefs, and their colouration varies depending on where they originate. For example, those found in the Red Sea do not have an eyespot. These fish usually stay in a pairs while hunting small invertebrates such as shrimp, but the species is omnivorous and will scavenge if food is scarce. IUCN status is Least Concern, but its populations are decreasing.