[1][2] Along the coast of southern Africa from Walvis Bay to Maputo.

[1] Subtropical, between 23°S and 36°S in eastern Atlantic and western Indian oceans.

[3] Body colour basically brown, paler on ventral side, with a brighter white area below the eyes in the front part of the body, and a row of five white spots along the lateral line.

[1] C. brachydactylus is a small-benthic-invertebrate predator, There is some dietary overlap between the species assembages of the reef predators, in which this fish occurs, but each appears to have a dietary niche which reduces interspecific competition for food.

[4] C. brachydactylis is preyed upon by large reef predators, including the santer seabream, (Cheimerius nufar), red steenbras (Petrus rupestris), scotsman (Polysteganus praeorbitalis), and yellowbelly rockcod (Epinephelus marginatus).