Boopsoidea inornata, Castelnau, 1861
Booposoidea is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. The only species in the genus is Boopsoidea inornata, the Fransmadam or Karel grootoog, which is endemic to the southwestern Indian Ocean off South Africa.
A deep bodied fish with a pointed head and large eyes. Its adult body colour is bronze to silver with a distinctive dark edge to the gill covers. Small juveniles are a reddish orange, fading with growth to silvery with orange to yellow fins. Length is up to 30 cm, and weight seldom exceeds 0.4 kg.
Booposoidea is endemic to the southewestern Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa between Kalk Bay on the eastern coast of the Cape Peninsula to Aliwal Shoal in KwaZulu-Natal.
Boopsoidea inornata is a rudimentary hermaphrodite. It is a long lived, polygamous, resident species. Females spawn throughout the year, but mostly in spring. The eggs are pelagic and have been found in shelf waters in the Tsitskamma National Park.
Females mature at 178 mm FL, compared to 185 mm FL for males.
Predated by large fish like red steenbras and kob. Nineteen parasite taxa are known to infect B. inornata and include myxozoan, monogenean, digenean, cestode, nematode, copepod and isopod examples.
Boopsoidea inornata is often part of recreational and commercial skiboat catches in the southeastern and southwestern Cape. It is usually used as bait for larger gamefish, but is also used for food when larger reef fish species are depleted. It is also often caught by shore anglers in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
No dive sites list Fransmadam yet. Explore the map to find sites near you.
