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The piggy is a small silver-olive coloured fish with a notable dark black-brown blotch on its gill covers, and the top of its body is noticeably pinker than the bottom. Its fins are usually transparent but can take on a yellow tint. It is elongated and has a short snout compared to other grunters.It inhabits the Indian Ocean, particularly the African coast where it dwells in sandy and reef habitats to a depth of 90m. It occurs in large shoals in these waters where it serves as a vitally important prey animal of a number of large predators, such as sharks and cetaceans. These large shoals are often juveniles who will migrate to deeper waters when they mature.The piggy is one of the smallest fish in the grunter family, but is still a proficient predator, feeding on shrimp, octopusses and flatworms.

Sixline wrasses are small, colourful fish inhabiting coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific, ranging from KwaZulu-Natal and the Red Sea to the Ryukyu islands of Japan. They are characterized by their bright blue and orange lines.Thes small fish are aggressive and will protect their feeding territory from intruders. Despite this aggression, they are shy and will lurch amongst coral for protection from larger predators.Sixline wrasses are voracious feeders, preying on small bottom-dwelling crustaceans, and occasionally serving as cleaner fish when no bottom-dwelling prey is available.

Bottom-dwelling endemic species found in the cool water of tidal pools and subtidal gullies off the southern African coast. Feeds on small invertebrates. Has enlarged pectoral fins which act as tactile sensors and also stabilize the fish when it is ‘lying’ on the bottom. Attains 30 cm in length.

Smooth glassies are small silver fish with translucent bodies. Their fins are almost completely translucent, with a deep notch in the centre of their dorsal fin.They can be distinguished from the almost identical bald glassy (Ambassis dussumieri) by the absence of serrations on their gill covers, facial spines and interruptions of their lateral line.Smooth glassies spend their entire lifecycles in estuaries, river mouths and floodplain lakes on the African east coast, particularly KwaZulu-Natal, Algoa Bay and Madagascar, where they form large schools. They are able to tolerate freshwater river mouths and a wide range of temperature fluctuations.They feed on floating crustaceans and zooplankton, as well as terrestrial insects, hunting primarily during mornings and evening in the summer, and all-day during winter.

Blacktails are medium-size, oval, silver fish. Their tails are not black as their name suggests, but they do have a large black spot on each side of their caudal peduncle. As juveniles, they have 8 to 10 pale vertical bars on their sides, but these fade with age.They are omnivores, equipped with both strong molars and sharp incisors to help process a variety of foods including red and green algae, starfish, urchins, snails, bivalves, polychaetes and sea squirts.Blacktails inhabit many shallow environments on the South African and Namibian coasts. They are highly resident, and adults rarely leave their preferred home region.Blacktails are hermaphrodites, and unlike many other hermaphroditic fish species, there is no relation between their age or size and their sex. In fact, many blacktails are able to be both male and female simultaneously.

Chaetodon means ‘hair-like teeth’. Common on coral and rocky reefs in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Occurs singly or in groups as it browses the reef for food items such as soft corals, zooplankton, small crabs, worms and seaweed. Little is known about its breeding behaviour, but it has been known to crossbreed with the teardrop butterflyfish.

The dusky cherub inhabits rubble bottoms near coral reefs at depths from 1 to 40 m. It is also found around corals in lagoons and on outer reefs. Some rare colour variations of yellow-orange markings on the body have been recorded.It feeds in small groups mainly on algae. These fish are very approachable underwater.

Kelp lice are marine isopods of the genus Paridotea that live and feed on various seaweeds. Kelp lice have a specially developed digestive mechanism to combat the anti-herbivorous chemicals the kelp uses to defend the spore areas on which the lice preferentially feed.

The peacock grouper is a member of the Serranidae family, native to the Indo-Pacific and common in home aquaria and as an invasive species.It is a mid-sized fish, growing up to 60cm. Thye have large mouths with thick lower lips and small fins.Its body is brown, but notable for the iridescent dark blue that tints it, particularly the edges of its fin. The peacock grouper is usually covered in hundreds of dark blue spots with cyan of white centres. As it ages, it commonly develops four to six thick white bars across the back portion of its body. One of its common names "argus grouper" is drawn from the many-eyed giant "Argus" of Greek mythology.