The baardman, sometimes called the slender baardman, is a dark brown fish, with a curved dorsal fin and short barb on the bottom of its chin. As a juvenile it displays large white patches on its dorsal surface that darken with age.
The baardman hunts invertebrates, such as polychaete, worms on sandy sea floors.
The baardman inhabits the western Indian Ocean, feeding on ocean-floor invertebrates. It is a resident species, rarely venturing far from its home territory – it often establishes a home cave in limestone or sandstone reefs.
The baardman is on the WWF SASSI Red list.
Also known as a belman, tasselfish, Belmont and bellman kabeljou
Grows up to 1m long and weighing 13kg
Very similar to the “baardman” (Umbrina canariensis), which is smaller and found along the coasts from East London to Namibia