Galjoen

This species can reach 80 cm (31 in) in total length and a weight of 6.5 kg (14 lb). The body is compressed, and the fins are well developed, with prominent spines, 10 of them, with between 18 and 23 rays. The anal fin has three spines, and usually 13 or 14 rays, the pelvic fins have 1 spine and 5 rays, and the pectoral fins are typically shorter than the head. The body, fins, and head, with the except of the front of the snout, are covered in scales. The lips are thick, with strong curved incisors at the front of the mouth, with smaller teeth behind the front incisors.

The galjoen is indigenous to the coasts of southern Africa from Angola to South Africa, and is generally found around reefs at shallow depths around 10 m (33 ft), often near the shore.

Due to their abundance in the shores off South Africa, galjoen is common in South African cuisine. A notable dish is the fish sprinkled with pepper and lemon — or alternatively with lemon, mayonnaise, and melted garlic butter — and served with fresh bread and apricot jam.

The species usually feeds on red and coraline seaweed and red bait, small mussels and barnacles found off rocky shores, and appear in particular to be a partial to the white mussels residing in the sandy beaches and inlets of the rocky outcrops along the southern coast.

According to the South African Association for Marine Biological Research, the population of the galljoen is depleted at less than 20% of its optimal size; the existing stock is maintained due to natural refuges and no-take MPAs.

In the 2018 National Biodiversity Assessment by SANBI, it is listed as Near Threatened. It is listed on the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative List as a red-listed fish that cannot be sold nor bought; only recreational anglers with a permit may catch a minimum size of 35 cm with a limit of 2 a day.