Red roman (Chrysoblephus laticeps)

Photo by Peter Southwood on iNaturalist · CC BY-SA 4.0

Fish·Active (October)

Red roman

Chrysoblephus laticeps

When
Active all year; habitat and behaviour shift with the season.
Habitat
Inshore and offshore reefs with high relief, down to about 100 m, between Cape Point and the Eastern Cape — mostly fished from ski-boats; deep-water rock ledges sometimes produce one from the shore.
Identification
A vivid orange seabream with a broad, concave forehead, a blue bar between the eyes and a white, saddle-like mark on the back below the middle of the dorsal fin.
Notes
A slow-growing reef fish that lives on a patch of reef no bigger than a few thousand square metres and starts adult life as a female, turning male as it grows. That loyalty to one reef is why marine protected areas such as Tsitsikamma and Goukamma protect it so well.
Method
It takes almost any bait: squid (chokka), sardine or prawn on the bottom over broken reef, on a short, strong trace.
Caution
Two a day at 30 cm or more, on a DFFE recreational permit (online or at the Post Office). No fishing in no-take marine protected areas — around Cape Town that includes the six restricted zones of the Table Mountain MPA.

Seasons, size limits and catch limits change every year and differ by water body. Check the current regulations for the country and the water before fishing.

Red roman facts

Also called
Roman, rooi roman, roman seabream.
Family
Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies.
Native range
Endemic to southern Africa, from Namibia round the Cape; the stock lies mainly between Cape Point and Port St Johns, and it is very rare on the west coast.
Habitat
High- and low-profile reefs from close inshore down to about 100 m (330 ft); juveniles live on shallow reefs to 30 m. Each fish holds a small home range of 1,000–3,000 m² and shelters in caves during cold upwelling.
Water temperature
Cool temperate. AquaMaps puts its preferred surface water at about 14–16°C (57–61°F), within a range of roughly 13–25°C.
Size
Most adults 25–35 cm (10–14 in); the largest measured about 50 cm (20 in).
Record
IGFA all-tackle world record: 2.00 kg (4 lb 7 oz), Graham Doman, Struisbaai, South Africa (listed by IGFA as ‘Stryis Bay’), 1 May 2024. The South African spearfishing record is 4.57 kg (10 lb 1 oz), from 1993.
Lifespan
Up to 17–19 years.
What it eats
Feather stars, brittle stars, squid and cuttlefish, crabs and worms; young fish eat worms and small crustaceans.
Spawning
October to January in the Eastern Cape and November to February near Goukamma, after paired courtship well above the reef. Females mature at two and a half to three and a half years and about 18 cm; the biggest become territorial males.
Teeth and mouth
A strong mouth with prominent canine teeth at the front.
Look-alikes
Other members of its genus — the dageraad (Chrysoblephus cristiceps) and Englishman (Chrysoblephus anglicus) among them — share its reefs; the roman’s blue bar between the eyes and white saddle on the back set it apart.
Eating
Good eating; WWF-SASSI rates line-caught South African roman orange — think twice.
Status
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (2024 assessment). Historically overfished, with signs of recovery; marine protected areas have proved very effective for it.

Interactive

Red roman: size range

Move the slider from a typical adult to the largest recorded specimen, shown against objects of known size.

30 cm · 12 inmost adults51015202530354045505560cm246810121416182022ina grown-up's hand · 18 cma loaf of bread · 30 cm

Most adults you'll catch: 25–35 cm (10–14 in).

This red roman: 30 cm. About as long as a loaf of bread.

The record

IGFA all-tackle world record: 2.00 kg (4 lb 7 oz), Graham Doman, Struisbaai, South Africa (listed by IGFA as ‘Stryis Bay’), 1 May 2024. The South African spearfishing record is 4.57 kg (10 lb 1 oz), from 1993.

Questions people ask about red roman

What is the bag limit for red roman?

Two a day at 30 cm or more, on a DFFE recreational permit. Red roman mature at about 18 cm, well under the legal size, which has helped the stock hold up.

Why do red roman change sex?

They are protogynous hermaphrodites: every roman starts adult life as a female, and the largest become territorial males. Heavy fishing removes the big fish, which can skew the sex ratio towards females.

Can you fish for red roman around Cape Town?

Yes, with a permit, outside the protected zones. The Table Mountain National Park MPA has six restricted zones — Karbonkelberg, Cape of Good Hope, Paulsberg, Castle Rock, Boulders and St James — where no fishing is allowed (snoek may be fished beyond the 35 m line at Karbonkelberg).

Found in these regions

Checked against these sources ·

Sizes, records and ranges are for the species as a whole; local populations and rules vary. Records change; the record-keeper named above holds the current one.

Local activity

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Also active in October