Panga

Pterogymnus laniarius

The panga or dikbek is a medium-sized fish with an elongated body. It is pinkishsilver in colour and white underneath, with yellow stripes and blue-green dots along the body. The fins are a lighter pink. It has thick fleshy and furry lips and prominent canine teeth that project outwards. It is endemic to Southern Africa, occurring from Yzerfontein on the West Coast to Beira in Mozambique. Size and biology They reach up to 45 cm in length and like deeper water: 10–140 m. Spawning occurs throughout the year with peak times from spring to autumn. The panga is a slow grower and reaches maturity between 4,3 and 5,2 years, when they’re about 28 cm long. It takes another five years to reach maximum size, and the oldest recorded fish was 16 years old. Habitat They congregate in large shoals, and both adults and adolescents stay near rocky reefs as well as sand and mud. The young ones initially stay near the Agulhas bank but as they get older they seek greener pastures. Large numbers gather in the middle of winter and eat crabs and smaller fish and prawns. The young eat mysids (small prawn-like shellfish). Catch it Even though the panga is a tasty fish, it’s too small for recreational anglers. The species is caught by the commercial trawl fisheries and is a major component of the inshore trawl fishery in the southern and eastern Cape, especially around Port Elizabeth. That’s a record 1,5 kg SASSI status You’re allowed to catch up to 10 – any time of the year – per day. Text Dr. Gavin Gouws Sketch Elaine Heemstra © South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)