Steenbras: AKA white ghost. They don't get this name for nothing, they are extremely smart and are very easily frightened.

The White Steenbras is endemic to South Africa and occur in both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. They can be found from the Orange River Mouth to Southern Kwa-Zulu Natal. White Steenbras are also known as Pignose Grunters because they can blow sand prawns out of a hole by using their long snout. Anglers from different regions in South Africa call them different names like River Steenbras, Varkbek, and Ngcangolo. They have a silver body colour with a soft sheen on the upper surface and white lower down. Seven dark vertical bars or stripes are often visible on the sides of the body and may sometimes be darker in juvenile fish. These stripes act as camouflage to mimic the ripple patterns in the sand caused by currents, waves or tides. This species has a distinctly sloping and pointed head with a narrow mouth. The mouth has thick lips and both jaws are set with small teeth, while the molars are generally found deeper in the mouth. The fins are well developed. A single dorsal fin has eleven spines followed by eight rays. The tail fin is large and slightly forked.

White Steenbras reach maturity at about five years. They grow up to a length of about 1 m and can weigh up to 30 kg, making them popular targets for anglers. They prefer shallower waters to deeper seas and are also often found in estuaries. They can survive for extended periods in almost-fresh water and they are often seen feeding in estuaries with their tails right out of the water. Their diet varies but they mainly feed on bottom-dwelling animals such as molluscs, sand prawns, worms, and sea lice.

White Steenbras undergo an annual spawning migration and the juveniles are estuarine- dependant. They are not normally sexually active while living in estuaries. They are commonly bisexual. In their natural habitat these fish are fairly solitary – although at certain times of year, there can be large runs of them, for example up the East Coast of South Africa.