Family: Acanthuridae – Surgeonfishes and unicornfishes. [2]
Tailring surgeon Acanthurus blochii Valenciennes , 1835 (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Pencilled surgeon Acanthurus dussumieri Valenciennes, 1835 (Port Alfred to Mozambique) [4] (Algoa Bay to western Pacific) [3] Powder-blue surgeonfish, Acanthurus leucosternon Bennett, 1832 (Sodwana Bay to Indonesia) [3] Bluebanded surgeon, Acanthurus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Elongate surgeon, Acanthurus mata (Cuvier, 1829) (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Epaulette surgeon, Acanthurus nigricauda Duncker and Mohr, 1929 (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Brown surgeon, Acanthurus nigrofuscus (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-Pacific south to Coffee Bay ) [3] [4] Lieutenant surgeonfish, doubleband surgeonfish , Acanthurus tennentii Günther, 1861 (Western Indian Ocean from Natal to Sri Lanka) [3] Chocolate surgeon, Acanthurus thompsoni (Fowler, 1923) (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Convict surgeon, Acanthurus triostegus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Indo-Pacific south to Bashee River , with postlarvae as far as Algoa Bay ) [4] Yellowfin surgeon, Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes, 1835 (Durban to eastern Pacific) [3] Twospot bristletooth, Ctenochaetus binotatus Randall, 1955 (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Striped bristletooth, Ctenochaetus striatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Spotted bristletooth, Ctenochaetus strigosus (Bennett, 1828) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Whitemargin unicornfish , Naso annulatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) [3] Humpback unicorn, Naso brachycentron (Valenciennes, 1835) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Spotted unicorn, Naso brevirostris (Valenciennes, 1835) (Indo-Pacific south to Durban , with juveniles drifting to Algoa Bay ) [3] Orange-spine unicorn, Naso lituratus (Forster, 1801) (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Humpnose unicorn, Naso tuberosus Lacepède 1802 (Natal to Gilbert Islands) [3] Bluespine unicornfish , Naso unicornis (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Bignose unicorn, Naso vlamingii (Valenciennes, 1835) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Palette surgeon, Paracanthurus hepatus (Natal to central Pacific) [3] Spotted tang, Zebrasoma gemmatum (Valenciennes, 1835) (Mauritius, Madagascar, Sodwana Bay and 3 specimens from Durban ) [3] Twotone tang, Zebrasoma scopas (Cuvier, 1829) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Sailfin tang , Zebrasoma velifer (Bloch, 1797) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Family: Antigoniidae – Boarfishes
Family: Chaetodontidae – Butterflyfishes
Threadfin butterflyfish , Chaetodon auriga Forsskål, 1775 (Tropical Ind-Pacific south to Mossel Bay ) [3] [4] Brownburnie , Chaetodon blackburnii Desjardins, 1836 (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Bashee River ) [3] [4] Blackedged butterflyfish Chaetodon dolosus Ahl, 1923 (East African coast south to Xora River ) [3] [4] Gorgeous gussie, peppered butterflyfish , Chaetodon guttatissimus Bennett, 1833 (Durban to Red Sea) [3] [4] Whitespotted butterflyfish, sunburst butterflyfish , Chaetodon kleinii Bloch, 1790 (Red sea and Indian Ocean south to Coffee Bay ) [3] [4] Lined butterflyfish Chaetodon lineolatus Quoy and gaimard, 1831 (Red sea and Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] Raccoon butterflyfish or Halfmoon butterflyfish, Chaetodon lunula (Lacepède, 1802) (South Africa to Hawaii, Japan and Australia. South to East London ) [3] [4] Pearly butterflyfish, Seychelles butterflyfish , Chaetodon madagaskariensis Ahl, 1923 (Indian Ocean south to Port Elizabeth ) [3] [4] Doublesash butterflyfish , Chaetodon marleyi Regan, 1921 (Lamberts Bay to Maputo. Endemic) [3] [4] Blackback butterflyfish , Chaetodon melannotus Bloch and Schneider, 1801 (Red Sea south to Durban ) [3] Maypole butterflyfish, scrawled butterflyfish , Chaetodon meyeri Bloch & Schneider, 1801 (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Rightangle butterflyfish, chevron butterflyfish , Chaetodon trifascialis Quoy and Gaimard, 1825 (Red Sea south to Tugela River ) [3] Purple butterflyfish, melon butterflyfish , Chaetodon trifasciatus Mungo Park, 1797 (Indo-Pacific from Kosi Bay to Hawaii) [3] Limespot butterflyfish, teardrop butterflyfish , Chaetodon unimaculatus Bloch, 1787 (Indian Ocean south to Port Alfred ) [3] [4] Vagabond butterflyfish , Chaetodon vagabundus Linnaeus, 1758 (Red Sea south to Durban ) [3] [4] Yellowhead butterflyfish , Chaetodon xanthocephalus Bennett, 1832 (Western Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] Zanzibar butterflyfish Chaetodon zanzibarensis Playfair, 1867 (Zanzibar to Durban ) [3] Yellow longnose butterflyfish , Forcipiger flavissimus Jordan & McGregor, 1898 (Red Sea to Durban ) [3] [4] Brushtooth butterflyfish Hemitaurichthys zoster (Bennett, 1831) (Western Indian Ocean south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Coachman, pennant coralfish , Heniochus acuminatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Port Alfred to Mozambique) [4] (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Schooling coachman, schooling bannerfish , Heniochus diphreutes Jordan, 1903 (Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific south to Durban )) [3] [4] Masked coachman Heniochus monoceros Cuvier, 1831 (Indo-West Pacific south to Cape Vidal ) [3] [4] Family: Drepaneidae – Sicklefishes
Concertina-fish Drepane longimana (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to East London) Family: Ephippidae – Batfishes [6]
Family: Leiognathidae – Soapies
Slender soapy, Deveximentum insidiator (Bloch, 1787), recorded as syn. Secutor insidiator (Bloch, 1787), (Indo-West Pacific south to East London ) [3] [4] [7] Toothed soapy Gazza minuta (Bloch, 1797) (Indo-Pacific south to Port Alfred ) [3] Slimy Leiognathus equula (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-Pacific south to East London ) [3] [4] Pugnose soapy, Leiognathus ruconius (Hamilton, 1822), recorded as syn. Secutor ruconius (Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822), (Indo-West Pacific south to Transkei) [3] [8] Family: Lobotidae – Tripletails
Family: Luvaridae – Louvar
Family: Pomacanthidae – Angelfishes
Tiger angelfish Apolemichthys kingi Heemstra, 1984 (Only known from off Natal: Durban , Tongaat and Aliwal shoal ) [3] Threespot angelfish Apolemichthys trimaculatus (Lacepède, 1831) (Indo-West Pacific to Natal) [3] Jumping bean, orangeback angelfish , Centropyge acanthops (Norman, 1922) (Port Elizabeth to Somalia) [3] [4] Coral beauty, twospined angelfish , Centropyge bispinosa (Günther, 1860) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana ) [3] Dusky cherub Centropyge multispinis (Playfair, 1867) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Goldtail angelfish , Pomacanthus chrysurus Cuvier, 1831 (Indo-West Pacific south to Aliwal Shoal ) [3] Emperor angelfish , Pomacanthus imperator (Bloch, 1787) (Indo-West Pacific south to East London ) [3] [4] Old woman angelfish , Pomacanthus rhomboides (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Red Sea to Knysna ) [3] [4] Previously known as Pomacanthus striatus Rüppell, 1836, but Rüppell's species is a synonym of P. maculosus (Forsskål, 1775) [9] Semicircle angelfish Pomacanthus semicirculatus (Cuvier, 1831) (Indo-West Pacific to Port Elizabeth ) [3] [4] Royal angelfish , Pygoplites diacanthus (Boddaert, 1772) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) Family: Scatophagidae – Scatties
Family: Siganidae – Rabbitfishes
Family: Zanclidae – Moorish idol
Family: Anguillidae – Freshwater eels
African mottled eel, Anguilla labiata (Peters, 1852), recorded as syn. Anguilla bengalensis labiata (Peters, 1852) (Knysna to Kenya) [3] [14] Shortfin eel, Indonesian shortfin eel , Anguilla bicolor , recorded as syn. Anguilla bicolor bicolor McClelland, 1844 (Knysna to Kenya) [3] [15] Madagascar mottled eel, giant mottled eel , Anguilla marmorata Quoy and Gaimard, 1824 (Western Cape to Kenya) [3] Longfin eel, African longfin eel , Anguilla mossambica (Peters, 1852) (Most waters of the Cape northwards) [3] Family: Chlopsidae – False morays
Family: Moringuidae – Spaghetti eels
Family: Muraenidae – Moray eels
Anarchias seychellensis Smith, 1962 (Sodwana Bay) [3] Whiteface moray Echidna leucotaenia Schultz, 1943 (Natal northwards and east to central Pacific) [3] Floral moray, snowflake moray , Echidna nebulosa (Ahl, 1789) (Port Alfred to Mozambique) [3] [4] Barred moray Echidna polyzona (Richardson, 1945) (Natal northwards, Indo-Pacific) [3] Blackcheek moray eel , Gymnothorax breedeni McCosker and Randall, 1977 (Sodwana Bay)) [3] Latticetail moray , Gymnothorax buroensis (Bleeker, 1857) (Natal northwards, Indo-Pacific)) [3] Tiger moray Gymnothorax enigmaticus McCosker and Randall, 1882 (Natal, Indo-Pacific)) [3] Salt and pepper moray, Abbott's moray eel , Gymnothorax eurostus (Abbott, 1861) (Transkei to Bazaruto)) [3] Honeycomb moray, laced moray Gymnothorax favagineus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)) [3] [4] or reticulated moray, reported as syn. Gymnothorax permistus (Smith, 1962) (Transkei to Delagoa Bay) [3] [16] Yellow-edged moray Gymnothorax flavimarginatus (Rüppell, 1830) (Transkei northwards, Indo-Pacific) [3] Freckled moray, brown-spotted moray eel , Gymnothorax fuscomaculatus (Schultz, 1953) (Natal; Central Pacific) [3] Geometric moray , Gymnothorax griseus (Lacepède, 1803) (Transkei to Red Sea) [3] (syn. Sideria grisea ) White-spotted moray eel , Gymnothorax johnsoni (Smith, 1962) (Algoa Bay to Sodwana Bay) [3] Trunk-eyed moray, blotch-necked moray eel , Gymnothorax margaritophorus (Bleeker, 1865) (Transkei to Bazaruto, Indo-Pacific) [3] Blackspot moray Gymnothorax melatremus (Schultz, 1953) (Sodwana Bay) [3] Guineafowl moray, turkey moray , Gymnothorax meleagris (Shaw and Nodder, 1795) (Algoa Bay to southern Mozambique; Indo-Pacific) [3] Starry moray Gymnothorax nudivomer (Günther, 1867)(Transkei to Zanzibar) [3] Paintspotted moray Gymnothorax pictus (Ahl, 1789) (Natal to Indo-Pacific) [3] (syn. Siderea picta ) Leopard moray, undulated moray , Gymnothorax undulatus (Lacepède, 1803) (Port Alfred to southern Mozambique; Indo-Pacific) [3] Bar-tail moray, barred-fin moray , Gymnothorax zonipectis Seale, 1906 (Sodwana Bay, central Pacific) [3] Zebra moray , Gymnomuraena zebra (Shaw, 1797), also reported as syn. Echidna zebra , (Transkei to Mozambique)) [3] [4] Tiger reef-eel Scuticaria tigrina (Lesson, 1828) (Natal to Southern Mozambique; Indo-Pacific) [3] (syn. Uropterygius tigrinus (Lesson, 1829)) Slender giant moray Strophidon sathete (Hamilton, 1822) (Bashee River to tropical Indo-Pacific) [3] (syn. Thyrsoidea macrura (Bleeker, 1854)) Uniform reef-eel Uropterygius concolor Rüppell, 1838 (Durban to Red Sea) [3] Barlip reef eel Uropterygius kamar McCosker and Randall, 1977 (Sodwana Bay; Indo-Pacific) [3] Shortfinned reef eel Uropterygius micropterus (Bleeker, 1852) (Durban northwards; Indo-Pacific) [3] Freckleface reef eel Uropterygius xanthopterus Bleeker, 1859 (Sodwana Bay to southern Mozambique: Indo-Pacific) [3] Family: Congridae – Conger eels
Blunt-tooth conger , Ariosoma mauritianum (Pappenheim, 1914) (Natal to Indo-West Pacific) [3] Tropical conger Ariosoma scheelei (Stromman, 1896) (Natal to Mozambique and Indo-Pacific) [3] Hairy conger Bassanago albescens (Barnard, 1923) (Cape Point) [3] Longnose conger , Bathycongrus wallacei (Castle, 1968), recorded as syn, Rhechias wallacei (Castle, 1968) (Natal to southern Mozambique) [17] Large-toothed conger , Bathyuroconger vicinus (Vaillant, 1888) (off Cape Point) [3] Indo-Pacific shorttail conger , Coloconger scholesi Chan, 1967 (Natal to southern Mozambique) [3] Blackedged conger, longfin African conger , Conger cinereus Rüppell, 1830 (Mossel Bay to Mozambique) [3] [4] Cape conger , Conger wilsoni (Bloch and Schneider 1801) (Cape to southern Mozambique) [3] Southern conger Gnathophis capensis (Kaup, 1856) (False Bay to Plettenberg Bay) [3] Strap conger Gnathophis habenatus (Richardson, 1848) (Southern Cape to East London) [3] Longtail conger, slender conger , Uroconger lepturus (Richardson, 1854) (Natal to Red Sea and Indo-Pacific) [3] Family: Derichthyidae – Longneck eels
Family: Muraenesocidae – Pike congers
Family: Nettastomatidae – Witch eels
Family: Ophichthidae – Snake-eels and worm-eels
Snake eel Apterichtus klazingai (Weber. 1913) (off Durban; Indonesia and western Pacific) [3] Longtailed sand-eel , Bascanichthys kirkii (Günther, 1870) (Natal to Aden) [3] Crocodile snake eel , Brachysomophis crocodilinus (Bennett, 1833) (Natal, Tanzania, Seychelles, Mauritius and Indo-Pacific) [3] Marbled snake-eel Callechelys marmorata (Bleeker, 1853) (Natal to central Indo-Pacific) [3] Fringelip snake-eel , Cirrhimuraena playfairii (Günther, 1870) (Kosi Bay to Zanzibar) [3] Sharpnose sand-eel Ichthyapus acuticeps (Barnard, 1923) (Durban to Zululand) [3] Finny sand-eel, oriental worm-eel , Lamnostoma orientale (McClelland, 1844) (Natal) [3] Halfbanded snake-eel, saddled snake-eel , Leiuranus semicinctus (Lay and Bennett, 1839) (Knysna to Indo-Pacific) [3] Ocellated snake-eel Myrichthys maculosus (Cuvier, 1816) (Port Alfred to Kenya, Indo-Pacific and eastern PacificM) [3] [4] Bluntnose snake eel , Ophichthus apicalis (Bennett, 1830) (St Francis Bay to Kenya, Madagascar and Indo-Pacific) [3] Slender snake-eel, Ophichthus serpentinus Seale, 1917, recorded as syn. Ophichthus bennettai McCosker, 1986 (Cape Province west coast) [3] [18] Saddled snake-eel Ophichthus erabo (Jordan and Snyder, 1901) (off Durban; Indo-Pacific to Hawaii) [3] Shorthead snake eel Ophichthus marginatus (Peters, 1855) (Knysna; Aldabra to Inhaca) [3] Plain snake eel , Ophichthus unicolor Regan, 1908 (Algoa Bay) [3] Sand snake-eel, serpent eel , Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1766) (Angola to southern Mozambique) [3] Estuary snake-eel, rice-paddy eel , Pisodonophis boro (Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822) (Knysna to Indo-Pacific) [3] Longfin snake-eel Pisodonophis cancrivorus (Richardson, 1844) (Algoa Bay to Indo-Pacific) [3] Slender worm-eel Scolecenchelys gymnota (Bleeker, 1857) (Bredasdorp to Zululand, east Africa to central Pacific) [3] (syn. Muraenichthys gymnotus Bleeker, 1864) Redfin worm-eel Scolecenchelys laticaudata (Ogilby, 1897) (East London to Indo-Pacific) [3] (syn. Muraenichthys laticaudata (Ogilby, 1897) Orangehead worm-eel Scolecenchelys xorae (Smith, 1958) (Algoa Bay to Natal) [3] (syn. Muraenichthys xorae Smith, 1958) Earthworm snake-eel , Yirrkala lumbricoides (Bleeker 1853) (off Durban; Northern Australia and Indo Pacific) [3] Thin sand-eel , Yirrkala tenuis (Günther, 1870)(Natal to southern Mozambique, Red Sea and possibly Mauritius) [3] Family: Nemichthyidae – Snipe eels
Family: Serrivomeridae – Sawtooth eels
Family: Synaphobranchidae – Cutthroat eels
Family: Alepisauridae – Lancetfishes
Family: Evermannellidae – Sabretooth fishes
Coccorella atlantica (Parr, 1928) (central water areas of all 3 major oceans; off western and south-western Cape coast, 1 specimen from 31°34'S, 30°09'E) [3] Balbo sabretooth , Evermannella balbo (Risso, 1820) (4 specimens from off southern Natal, presumed to be circumglobal in transition region of southern oceans) [3] Family Omosudidae
Hammerjaw , Omosudis lowii Günther, 1887 (1 specimen from not far off east coast at about 25°S; otherwise known from all oceans between 40°S and 40°N) [3] [20] Family: Paralepididae – Barracudinas (incl. Anotopteridae – Daggertooths)
Anotopterus pharao Zugmeyer, 1911 (off west coast; south of Cape Agulhas; off Transkei and in Mozambique channel; worldwide between 25°N and 65°S) [3] Lestidiops jayakari (Boulenger, 1889) (worldwide in tropical to temperate waters) [3] Lestidiops similis (Ege, 1933) (Tropical and temperate Atlantic between 45°N and 45°S) [3] Lestidium atlanticum (Borodin, 1928) (Tropical to subtropical all oceans) [3] Lestrolepis intermedia (Poey, 1868) (Tropical in all oceans; off South Africa only in Agulhas current) [3] Macroparalepis affinis Ege, 1933 (anti-tropical in Atlantic Ocean) [3] Macroparalepis macrogeneion Post, 1973 (South Atlantic sub-tropical convergence area from South Africa to continental slope off South America) [3] Magnisudis prionosa (Rofen, 1963) (Circumglobal in southern oceans from 20°S to Antarctic) [3] Spotted barracudina , Arctozenus risso (Bonaparte, 1840), recorded as syn. Notolepis rissoi (Bonaparte, 1840) (worldwide in temperate and tropical waters) [3] [21] Paralepis elongata (Brauer, 1906) (One specimen from Natal, now missing) [3] Stemonosudis elegans (Ege, 1933) (tropical Indo-Pacific, off South Africa only in Agulhas current) [3] Stemonosudis gracilis (Ege, 1933) (Tropical waters of Indian and Pacific oceans; Off South Africa only in Agulhas current) [3] Sudis hyalina Rafinesque, 1810 (Atlantic Ocean from 50°N to South Africa) [3] Family: Scopelarchidae – Pearleyes
Benthalbella infans Zugmayer, 1911 (off south-western Cape; tropical/subtropical in all 3 major oceans) [3] Lagiacrusichthys macropinnis (Bussing & Bussing, 1966), recorded as Benthalbella macropinna Bussing and Bussing, 1966 (off south-western Cape coast; circumpolar in subantarctic and Antarctic waters) [3] [22] Short fin pearleye,[ citation needed ] Scopelarchus analis (Brauer, 1902) (Common off southern Africa; tropical/subtropical all oceans) [3] Staring pearleye,[ citation needed ] Scopelarchus guentheri Alcock, 1896 (off Durban; mainly tropical in the Atlantic, tropical/subtropical in Indian and Pacific oceans) [3] Bigfin pearleye,[ citation needed ] Scopelarchus michaelsarsi Koefoed, 1955 (South-east of Durban;tropical/subtropical in all oceans) [3] Family: Ipnopidae
Family: Chlorophthalmidae – Greeneyes
Family: Ipnopidae
Family: Notosudidae – Notosudids
Family: Bathysauridae
Family: Giganturidae – Telescopefish
Gigantura indica Brauer, 1901, recorded as syn. Rosaura indica (Brauer, 1901) (Tropical/subtropical in all 3 major oceans; Indian Ocean from 35°49'S, 23°09'E northwards) [3] [24] Family: Synodontidae – Lizardfishes
Blotchy lizardfish Saurida gracilis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) (Indo-West Pacific to Algoa Bay) [3] Largescale lizardfish Saurida undosquamis (Richardson, 1848) (Indo-West Pacific to Knysna) [3] Spotnose lizardfish Synodus binotatus Schultz, 1953 (Indo-West Pacific, south to Natal) [3] Variegated lizardfish Synodus dermatogenys Fowler, 1912 (Indo-West Pacific south to Algoa Bay) [3] Indian lizardfish Synodus indicus (Day, 1873) (Mossel Bay to Red Sea and Sri Lanka) [3] Blacktail lizardfish Synodus jaculum Russell and Cressey, 1979 (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Redband lizardfish Synodus variegatus (Lacepède, 1803) (Central KwaZulu-Natal to Red Sea) [3] [4] Painted lizardfish Trachinocephalus myops (Forster, 1801) (Tropical and warm temperate waters of all oceans, east coast south to Knysna) [3] Family: Belonidae – Needlefishes
Barred needlefish, flat needlefish , Ablennes hians (Valenciennes, 1846) (Worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters, south to Algoa Bay) [3] Cape needlefish , Petalichthys capensis Regan, 1904 (South African endemic, False Bay to Pondoland) [3] Garfish or Yellow needlefish or Banded needlefish, Strongylura leiura (Bleeker, 1850) (Durban to Persian Gulf) [3] [4] Crocodile needlefish, houndfish , Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus (Peron and Lesueur, 1821) (Indo-West Pacific south to Knysna) [3] Family: Exocoetidae – Flyingfishes
Blackwing flyingfish Cheilopogon cyanopterus (Valenciennes, 1846) (Tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. One juvenile from Port Alfred, another from Natal) [3] Spotfin flyingfish Cheilopogon furcatus (Mitchill, 1815) (offshore in all tropical seas. Off South African coast from the Cape eastwards) [3] Blackfin flyingfish Cheilopogon nigricans (Bennett, 1840) (Tropical eastern Atlantic to Indo-West Pacific. One specimen known from South African waters) [3] Smallhead flyingfish Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus altipinnis (Valenciennes, 1846) (Cape to Kosi Bay) [3] Two-wing flyingfish Exocoetus monocirrhus (Richardson, 1846) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban) [3] Tropical two-wing flyingfish Exocoetus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) (worldwide in tropical waters, occasionally seen in South African waters) [3] Subtropical flyingfish Hirundichthys rondeletii (Valenciennes, 1846) (widely distributed in subtropical waters of all oceans, common off the Cape) [3] Mirrorwing flyingfish , Hirundichthys speculiger (Valenciennes, 1846) (worldwide in tropical waters, one juvenile from Mbibi, Zululand, another from False Bay) [3] Sailfin flying fish , Parexocoetus brachypterus (Richardson, 1846) (Tropical Indo-Pacific, south to Natal) [3] Shortfin flyingfish Prognichthys brevipinnis (Valenciennes, 1846) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific, recorded from Lake St. Lucia and Indian Ocean off South Africa) [3] Shortnose flyingfish Prognichthys sealei (Abe, 1955) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific; one adolescent off Cape St. Lucia and a small juvenile from Port Elizabeth) [3] Family: Hemiramphidae – Halfbeaks
Ribbon halfbeak Euleptorhamphus viridis (van Hasselt, 1823) (reported from Table Bay, also known from Algoa bay and Kei river Mouth. Tropical and temperate waters of Indo-Pacific) [3] Spotted halfbeak Hemiramphus far (Forsskål, 1775) (Knysna to Delagoa Bay. a few records west to False Bay) [3] [4] Tropical halfbeak Hyporhamphus affinis (Günther, 1866) (Sodwana Bay to tropical west Indo-Pacific) [3] [4] Cape halfbeak Hyporhamphus capensis (Thominot, 1886) (False Bay to southern Mozambique) [3] [4] Family: Scomberesocidae – Sauries
Dwarf saury Nanichthys simulans Hubbs and Wisner, 1980 (Warm temperate waters of the Atlantic and southern Indian oceans; Off the Cape up the west coast) [3] Family: Barbourisiidae – Red whalefish
Family: Berycidae – Berycids
Family: Cetomimidae – Whalefishes
Family: Melamphaidae – Bigscale fishes
Melamphaes eulepis Ebeling, 1962 (Atlantic south of 13°S, around Africa, in Indian Ocean, throughout Indonesia and in central equatorial Pacific) [3] Melamphaes microps (Günther, 1878) (off South Africa and New Zealand) [3] Melamphaes simus Ebeling, 1962 (Tropical/subtropical regions of Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans) [3] Poromitra crassiceps (Günther, 1878) (All oceans except Arctic and Mediterranean) [3] Poromitra megalops (Lütken, 1877) (Eastern Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and eastern equatorial Pacific) [3] Scopeloberyx robustus (Günther, 1887) (Tropical/subtropical regions of Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans) [3] Scopelogadus beanii (Günther, 1887) (Atlantic, southern Indian and western south Pacific oceans) [3] Sio nordenskjoldii (Lönnberg, 1905) (South Atlantic and Indian oceans south of 30°S; several records off South Africa) [3] Family: Rondeletiidae – Redmouth whalefish
Family: Stephanoberycidae – Pricklefishes
Family: Blenniidae – Blennies
Dwarf blenny Alloblennius parvus Springer & Spreitzar, 1978 (Comores and 1 specimen from Sodwana Bay ) [3] Moustached rockskipper Antennablennius australis Fraser-Brunner, 1951 (Port Elizabeth to Red Sea) [3] Horned rockskipper Antennablennius bifilum (Günther, 1861) (Port Alfred to the Persian Gulf) [3] [4] Floating blenny Aspidontus dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1836) (Red Sea south to Knysna ) [3] Mimic blenny, false cleanerfish , Aspidontus taeniatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1834 (Red Sea south to Durban ) [3] [4] (syn. Aspidontus taeniatus tractus Fowler, 1903) Picture rockskipper Blenniella gibbifrons (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824), recorded as syn. Istiblennius gibbifrons (Quoy & Gaimard, 1836) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [27] Looseskin blenny Chalaroderma capito (Valenciennes, 1836) (Saldanha Bay to East London ) [3] Two-eyed blenny Chalaroderma ocellata (Gilchrist and Thompson, 1908) (Saldanha Bay to Port Elizabeth ) [3] Blackflap blenny Cirripectes auritus (Carlson, 1981) (Line islands, Philippines, Grand Comoro, Kenya and Sodwana Bay ) [3] Muzzled rockskipper Cirripectes castaneus (Valenciennes, 1836) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Golden blenny, Midas blenny , Ecsenius midas (Starck, 1969) (Red Sea to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Nalolo Ecsenius nalolo Smith, 1959 (Red Sea to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Fringelip rockskipper Entomacrodus epalzeocheilos (Bleeker, 1859) (Indo-Pacific, 1 specimen from Sodwana Bay ) [3] Pearly rockskipper Entomacrodus striatus (Valenciennes, 1836), (Western Indian Ocean to 30°S) [3] Leopard rockskipper Exallias brevis (Kner, 1868) (Red Sea to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Highbrow rockskipper Hirculops cornifer (Rüppell, 1830) (Red Sea to Pondoland ) [3] Impspringer, Istiblennius bellus (Günther, 1861) recorded as syn. Istiblennius impudens Smith, 1959 (Western Indian Ocean south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [28] Streaky rockskipper Istiblennius dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1836) (Indo-Pacific south to Bashee River ) [3] [4] Rippled rockskipper Istiblennius edentulus (Forster & Schneider, 1801) (Indo-Pacific south to East London ) [3] [4] Bullethead rockskipper, Blenniella periophthalmus (Valenciennes, 1836), recorded as syn. Istiblennius periophthalmus (Valenciennes, 1836) (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [29] Rusi blenny, Mimoblennius rusi Springer & Spreitzer, 1978 (Known only from Sodwana Bay area) [3] Bandit blenny, Omobranchus banditus Smith, 1959, (Bazaruto to Port Alfred ) [3] [4] Kappie blenny, Omobranchus woodi (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Eastern Cape estuaries, East London to Knysna ) [3] [4] Horned blenny Parablennius cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Northern Namibia to Sodwana Bay , Endemic) [3] [4] Ringneck blenny , Parablennius pilicornis (Cuvier, 1829) (Knysna to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [4] Kosi rockskipper Pereulixia kosiensis (Regan, 1908) (Durban north to Pakistan) [3] Sabretooth blenny Petroscirtes breviceps (Valenciennes, 1836) (Natal to Japan and New Guinea) [3] Twostripe blenny, bluestriped fangblenny , Plagiotremus rhinorhynchos (Bleeker, 1852) (Indo-Pacific south to Knysna ) [3] Piano blenny, mimic blenny Plagiotremus tapeinosoma (Bleeker, 1857) (Indo-Pacific south to False Bay ) [3] Maned blenny Scartella emarginata (Günther, 1861) (Southern Angola to India) [3] [4] Japanese snakeblenny Xiphasia matsubarai Okada & Suzuki, 1952 (Western Indian Ocean south to False Bay ) [3] Snakeblenny Xiphasia setifer Swainson, 1839 (Red Sea to False Bay ) [3] Family: Clinidae – Klipfishes
Lace klipfish, Blennioclinus brachycephalus (Valenciennes, 1836) (Melkboschstrand to Kei River ) [3] Silverbubble klipfish, Blennioclinus stella Smith, 1946 (Algoa Bay to north of Durban ) [3] Snaky klipfish, Blenniophis anguillaris (Valenciennes, 1836) (Lüderitz Bay to East London ) [3] Striped klipfish, Blenniophis striatus (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Saldanha Bay to East London ) [3] Slender platanna-klipfish Cancelloxus burrelli Smith, 1961 (Orange River to Algoa Bay ) [3] Whiteblotched klipfish Cancelloxus elongatus Heemstra and Wright, 1986 (Storms River mouth to Algoa Bay ) [3] Cancelloxus longior Prochazka & Griffiths, 1991, [30] [31] Barbelled klipfish Cirrhibarbus capensis Valenciennes, 1836 (Lambert's Bay to East London ) [3] Fleet klipfish Climacoporus navalis Barnard, 1935 (Still Bay to Port St. Johns . Once from False Bay ) [3] Ladder klipfish Clinoporus biporosus (Gilchrist and Thompson, 1908) (Saldanha Bay to False Bay ) [3] Sad klipfish Clinus acuminatus (Schneider, 1801) (Lüderitz Bay to west of Algoa Bay ) [3] Agile klipfish Clinus agilis Smith, 1931 (Namibia (20°49'S) to Port Alfred ) [3] [4] Clinus arborescens Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908, [32] [33] previously reported as C. supeciliosus (part of complex)[ citation needed ] [34] Onrust klipfish Clinus berrisfordi Penrith, 1967 (Weedy areas of False Bay to Skoenmakerskop, just west of Algoa Bay ) [3] Cape klipfish Clinus brevicristatus Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908 (Lambert's Bay to False Bay ) [3] Clinus capensis (Valenciennes, 1836), [35] Bluntnose klipfish Clinus cottoides Valenciennes, 1836 (Olifants River (Namaqualand) to Kei River ) [3] [4] Clinus exasperatus Holleman, von der Heyden & Zsilavecz, 2012, (Betty's Bay) [34] Helen's klipfish Clinus helenae (Smith, 1946) (Boknes (west of Port Alfred ) to Bashee River ) [3] West coast klipfish Clinus heterodon Valenciennes, 1836 (Orange River to Cape Agulhas ) [4] (Swakopmund to False Bay ) [3] False Bay klipfish Clinus latipennis Valenciennes, 1836 (Table Bay to Cape Agulhas ) [3] Mosaic klipfish, Clinus musaicus Holleman, von der Heyden & Zsilavecz, 2012, (TMNP MPA). [36] [34] Chinese klipfish Clinus nematopterus Günther, 1861 (False Bay and Algoa Bay ) [3] Ornate klipfish, Clinus ornatus Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908, (TMNP MPA), [36] also previously recorded in C. superciliosus complex. [34] Robust klipfish Clinus robustus Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908 (Cape of Good Hope to East London ) [3] Kelp klipfish Clinus rotundifrons Barnard, 1937 (Lüderitz Bay to Cape of Good Hope ) [3] Bot river klipfish Clinus spatulatus Bennett, 1983 (Bot River and Kleinmond estuary) [3] Super klipfish or Highfin klipfish Clinus superciliosus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Namibia (18°59'S) to Kei River ) [3] [4] [36] now recognised as a complex containing C. superciliosus, C. ornatus, C. arborescens, C. musaicus and C. exasperatus. Bull klipfish Clinus taurus Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908 (Möwe Point (Namibia) to Port Alfred ) [3] Speckled klipfish Clinus venustris Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908 (Orange River to East London ) [4] (Lüderitz Bay to Port Alfred ) [3] Oldman klipfish Clinus woodi Smith, 1946 (Kei River to Inhambane ) [3] Mousey klipfish Fucomimus mus (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (False Bay to Coffee Bay ) [3] Nosestripe klipfish Muraenoclinus dorsalis (Bleeker, 1860) (Orange River to Durban ) [4] (Lüderitz Bay to southern Natal) [3] Bluespotted klipfish, Pavoclinus caeruleopunctatus Zsilavecz, 2001, (TMNP MPA). [36] [37] Grass klipfish Pavoclinus graminis (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (False Bay to Inhambane ) [3] [4] Rippled klipfish Pavoclinus laurentii (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Port Elizabeth to Maputo ) [4] (Port Alfred to Inhambane ) [3] Slinky klipfish Pavoclinus litorafontis Penrith, 1965 (False Bay ; Strandfontein intertidal caulerpa beds, and Onrust river mouth) [3] Bearded klipfish Pavoclinus mentalis (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Algoa Bay to St. Lucia ) [3] Mya's Klipfish Pavoclinus myae Christensen, 1978 (East London to Algoa Bay ) [3] Peacock klipfish Pavoclinus pavo (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Lüderitz Bay to Kei River ) [3] Deepwater klipfish Pavoclinus profundus Smith, 1961 (Off Knysna to Algoa Bay ) [3] Deep reef klipfish Pavoclinus smalei Heemstra & Wright, 1986 (off Storms River mouth) [3] Leafy klipfish Smithichthys fucorum (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Cape Point to Bashee River ) [3] Platanna klipfish Xenopoclinus kochi Smith, 1948 (Lambert's Bay to Algoa Bay ) [3] Leprous platanna klipfish Xenopoclinus leprosus Smith, 1961 (Orange River mouth to Algoa Bay ) [3] Family: Tripterygiidae – Threefin blennies or Triplefins
Cape triplefin Cremnochorites capensis (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (False Bay to Port Alfred ) [3] [4] Yellow triplefin Enneapterygius abeli (Klausewitz, 1960) (Red Sea to northern Natal) [3] Barred triplefin Enneapterygius clarkae (Holleman, 1982) (Red Sea to Natal) [3] Highcrest triplefin Enneapterygius pusillus Rüppell, 1835 (Red Sea to northern Natal) [3] Blotched triplefin Enneapterygius ventermaculus Holleman, 1982 (Natal to Pakistan) [3] Blackfin triplefin Helcogramma fuscopinna Holleman, 1982 (Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] Hotlips triplefin Helcogramma obtusirostris (Klunzinger, 1871) (Red Sea to Coffee Bay ) [3] [4] Rough-head triplefin, Norfolkia brachylepis (Schultz, 1960) recorded as syn. Norfolkia springeri Clark, 1979 (Natal to Red Sea) [3] [38] Family: Callionymidae – Dragonets
Longtail dragonet , Callionymus gardineri Regan, 1908 (Indian Ocean south to Natal) [3] Sand dragonet , Callionymus marleyi Regan, 1919 (Cape of Good Hope eastward to Persian Gulf) [3] Dainty dragonet Draculo celetus (Smith, 1963) (Known only from Eastern Cape, Durban and Inhaca island) [3] Ladder dragonet Paracallionymus costatus (Boulenger, 1898) (Lüderitz Bay to Inhaca ) [3] Deep-water dragonet Synchiropus monacanthus Smith, 1935 (Port Alfred to Zanzibar) [3] Dwarf dragonet Synchiropus postulus Smith, 1963 (Sodwana Bay to Tanzania) [3] Starry dragonet , Synchiropus stellatus Smith, 1963 (Sodwana Bay to northern Mozambique) [3] Order Carangaria incertae sedis Family: Menidae – Moonfish
Family: Polynemidae – Threadfins
Family: Sphyraenidae – Barracudas
Sharpfin barracuda Sphyraena acutipinnis Day, 1876 (Indo-Pacific south to Mossel Bay ) [3] Great barracuda , Sphyraena barracuda (Edwards, 1771) (Natal and all tropical seas except eastern Pacific) [3] [4] Yellowstripe barracuda Sphyraena chrysotaenia Klunzinger, 1884 (Indo-Pacific south to East London ) [3] Yellowtail barracuda , Sphyraena flavicauda Rüppell, 1838 (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Pickhandle barracuda , Sphyraena jello Cuvier, 1829 (Western Indian Ocean south to Knysna ) [3] [4] Sawtooth barracuda Sphyraena putnamiae Jordan & Seale, 1905 (Red Sea to Natal) [3] Blackfin barracuda , Sphyraena qenie Klunzinger, 1870 (Indo-Pacific, reported from Natal) [3] Family: Carangidae – Kingfishes
Threadfin mirrorfish or African pompano , Alectis ciliaris (Bloch 1787) (Algoa Bay northwards, cicumtropical) [3] Indian mirrorfish or Indian threadfish Alectis indica (Rüppell, 1830) (Durban northwards throughout Indian Ocean) [3] Shrimp scad , Alepes djedaba (Forsskål, 1775) (Durban northwards to Red Sea) [3] Longfin kingfish, longfin trevally , Carangoides armatus (Rüppell, 1830) (East London northwards throughout Indian Ocean to Gulf of Thailand and Japan) [3] Longnose kingfish, longnose trevally , Carangoides chrysophrys (Cuvier, 1833) (Algoa Bay northward, and eastward to Japan and Australia) [3] Coastal kingfish, coastal trevally , Carangoides coeruleopinnatus (Rüppell, 1830) (Durban northwards, and eastwards to Japan and Australia) [3] [4] Shadow kingfish, shadow trevally , Carangoides dinema Bleeker, 1851 (Durban northward to Tanzania) [3] Whitefin kingfish, whitefin trevally , Carangoides equula (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844) (Algoa Bay northward to Somalia and Gulf of Oman) [3] Blue kingfish, blue trevally , Carangoides ferdau (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific south to Port Elizabeth ) [3] [4] Yellowspotted kingfish, yellowspotted trevally , Carangoides fulvoguttatus (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Bludger , Carangoides gymnostethus (Cuvier, 1833) (Indo-West Pacific to Algoa Bay ) [3] Bumpnose kingfish, bumpnose trevally , Carangoides hedlandensis (Whitley, 1934) (Durban northwards in coastal waters) [3] Malabar kingfish, malabar trevally , Carangoides malabaricus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Coachwhip kingfish, coachwhip trevally , Carangoides oblongus (Cuvier, 1833) (Western Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] Barcheek kingfish, barcheek trevally , Carangoides plagiotaenia (Bleeker, 1857) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Blacktip kingfish, blacktip trevally , Caranx heberi (Bennett, 1830), also reported as syn. Caranx sem Cuvier, 1833, (Durban north to Zanzibar) [3] [4] Giant kingfish, giant trevally , Caranx ignobilis (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific south to Port Elizabeth ) [3] [4] Black kingfish Caranx lugubris Poey, 1860 (Circumtropical. Taken off East London ) [3] Bluefin kingfish, bluefin trevally , Caranx melampygus Cuvier, 1833 (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] [4] Brassy kingfish, brassy trevally , Caranx papuensis Alleyne & Macleay, 1877 (Port Alfred north to Zanzibar) [3] Bigeye kingfish, bigeye trevally , Caranx sexfasciatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 (Tropical Ind-Pacific south to Natal) [4] Tille kingfish, tille trevally , Caranx tille Cuvier, 1833 (Durban north to Zanzibar) [3] Mackerel scad , Decapterus macarellus (Cuvier, 1833) (Knysna northward, Circumtropical) [3] Slender scad Decapterus macrosoma Bleeker, 1851 (Indo-Pacific south to Knysna ) [3] Indian scad Decapterus russelli (Rüppell, 1830) (Durban northwards to Japan and Australia) [3] Rainbow runner , Elagatis bipinnulata (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) (Durban northwards, Circumtropical) [3] Golden kingfish, golden trevally , Gnathanodon speciosus (Forsskål, 1775), also recorded as syn. Gnathodon speciosus , (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Northern KwaZulu-Natal) [3] [4] Leervis, leerfish, or garrick, Lichia amia (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mediterranean sea south along west coast of Africa and around Cape to Delagoa Bay ) [3] [4] Torpedo scad , Megalaspis cordyla (Linnaeus, 1758) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to East London ) [3] Pilot fish Naucrates ductor (Linnaeus, 1758) (Circumtropical, common throughout Indian Ocean) [3] White kingfish, white trevally , Pseudocaranx dentex (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Durban southwards, anti-tropical on both sides of Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indo-West Pacific) [3] Talang queenfish Scomberoides commersonnianus Lacepède, 1801 (Indian Ocean south to Port Elizabeth ) [3] [4] Doublespotted queenfish Scomberoides lysan (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Needlescaled queenfish Scomberoides tol (Cuvier, 1832) (Indian Ocean south to Natal) [3] Greater yellowtail or greater amberjack Seriola dumerili Risso, 1810 (Algoa Bay to Persian Gulf) [3] Giant yellowtail, yellowtail amberjack , Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, 1833 (Most common on Atlantic Cape waters, but follows the pilchard migration to Transkei and Natal. Circumglobal in subtropical waters) [3] [4] Longfin yellowtail Seriola rivoliana Valenciennes, 1833 (Knysna northward. Circumtropical entering temperate waters in some places) [3] Blackbanded kingfish, black-banded trevally , Seriolina nigrofasciata (Rüppell, 1829) (Indian Ocean south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Southern pompano Trachinotus africanus Smith, 1967 (Knysna to Delagoa Bay ) [3] [4] Smallspotted pompano, smallspotted dart , Trachinotus baillonii (Lacepède, 1801) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Snubnose pompano Trachinotus blochii (Lacepède, 1801) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Largespotted pompano Trachinotus botla (Shaw, 1803) (Algoa Bay to Kenya) [3] [4] African maasbanker, Atlantic horse mackerel , Trachurus delagoa Nekrasov, 1970 (Eastern Cape province to Mozambique) [3] Maasbanker Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Norway south and round the Cape of Good Hope to Delagoa Bay [4] Cottonmouth kingfish, cottonmouth jack , Uraspis secunda (Poey, 1860) (Algoa Bay ) [3] Family: Coryphaenidae – Dolphinfish or Dorades
Family: Echeneidae – Remoras
Shark remora Echeneis naucrates Linnaeus, 1758 (Namibia to Mozambique) [4] (all warm waters except eastern Pacific) [3] Slender remora Phtheirichthys lineatus (Menzies, 1791) (Worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters) [3] White remora Remora albescens (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850) (Worldwide, prefers Manta rays) [40] Whale remora Remora australis (Bennett, 1840) (Worldwide, pelagic: found only on cetaceans) [3] Spearfish remora Remora brachyptera (Lowe, 1839) (Worldwide, prefers billfishes) [3] Remora Remora remora (Linnaeus, 1758) (Worldwide, prefers sharks) [3] Family: Istiophoridae – Sailfish, spearfishes and marlins
Sailfish, Indo-Pacific sailfish , Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw, 1792) (Mossel Bay to Mozambique) [3] [4] Black marlin , Istiompax indica (Cuvier, 1832), recorded as syn. Makaira indica (Cuvier, 1832) (Primarily Indo-Pacific to off Cape of Good Hope ) [3] [41] White marlin , Kajikia albida (Poey, 1860), recorded as syn. Tetrapturus albidus Poey, 1861 (Atlantic Ocean) [3] [42] Striped marlin , Kajikia audax (Philippi, 1887), recorded as syn. Tetrapturus audax (Philippi, 1887) (Primarily Indo-Pacific, but have been caught off Cape Town ) [3] [43] Blue marlin , Makaira nigricans (Lacepède, 1802) (Worldwide in all oceans) [3] Shortbill spearfish Tetrapturus angustirostris Tanaka, 1915, (Off Cape Point and Durban northwards throughout Indo-Pacific) [3] Longbill spearfish Tetrapturus pfluegeri Robins & de Sylva, 1963 (Apparently restricted to the Atlantic Ocean) [3] Family: Rachycentridae – Cobia
Family: Xiphiidae – Swordfishes
Family: Cheilodactylidae – Fingerfins [44]
Family: Cirrhitidae – Hawkfishes [46]
Twospot hawkfish , Amblycirrhitus bimacula (Jenkins, 1903) (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Spotted hawkfish, coral hawkfish , Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus (Bleeker, 1855) (Indo-Pacific south to East London ) [3] [4] Marbled hawkfish Cirrhitus pinnulatus (Schneider, 1801) (Indo-Pacific south to Port Alfred ) [3] Blackspotted hawkfish , Cristacirrhitus punctatus (Cuvier, 1829), recorded as syn. Cirrhitus punctatus (Cuvier, 1829) (Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozanbique and South Africa south to Bizana ) [3] [47] Swallowtail hawkfish , Cyprinocirrhites polyactis (Bleeker, 1875) (East Africa south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Horseshoe hawkfish, arc-eye hawkfish , Paracirrhites arcatus (Cuvier, 1829) (Indo-Pacific south to the Transkei) [3] Freckled hawkfish, blackside hawkfish , Paracirrhites forsteri (Schneider, 1801) (Indo-Pacific south to Northern KwaZulu-Natal) [4] Family: Dichistiidae – Galjoens
Family: Kuhliidae – Flagtails
Family: Kyphosidae – Sea chubs
Family: Oplegnathidae – Knifejaws
Family: Parascorpididae – Jutjaw
Family: Terapontidae – Thornfishes
Family: Alosidae
Family: Chirocentridae – Wolfherrings
Family: Dorosomatidae
Family: Dussumieriidae – Round herrings
Family: Ehiravidae
Estuarine round herring, Gilchrist's round-herring, Gilchristella aestuaria (Gilchrist, 1913) (Knysna to Kosi bay, Saldanha Bay and possibly north to Orange River mouth) [3] [4] [54] Family: Engraulidae – Anchovies
Buccaneer anchovy, Encrasicholina punctifer Fowler, 1938, recorded as syn. Stolephorus punctifer (Fowler, 1938) (St Lucia, possibly Durban, to Indo-Pacific to Hawaii) [3] [55] Cape anchovy, Japanese anchovy , Engraulis japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846 (Walvis Bay to Mozambique and Indo-Pacific) [3] [4] Thorny anchovy, Natal anchovy, Stolephorus holodon (Boulenger, 1900) (Swartkops estuary to northern Mozambique) [3] Indian anchovy Stolephorus indicus (van Hasselt, 1823) (Natal to Indo-Pacific) [3] Longjaw glassnose Thryssa setirostris (Broussonet, 1782) (Transkei through Indian Ocean to Indonesia and China) [3] Orangemouth glassnose or Bony Thryssa vitrirostris (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique) [4] Family: Spratelloididae
Order Eupercaria incertae sedis Family: Callanthiidae – Goldies
Family: Caesionidae – Fusiliers
Blue-and-gold fusilier, Caesio caerulaurea Lacepède, 1801 (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique) [4] Lunar fusilier , Caesio lunaris Ehrenberg, 1830 (Red Sea south to Natal) [3] Beautiful fusilier, Caesio teres Seale, 1906 (Sodwana Bay to Kenya) [3] Yellowback fusilier , Caesio xanthonota Bleeker, 1853 (Indian Ocean south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [4] Dark-banded fusilier , Pterocaesio tile Cuvier, 1830 (East Africa south to Sodwana Bay , juvenile found at Haga Haga just north of East London ) [3] Family: Cepolidae – Bandfishes
Family: Dinopercidae
Family: Emmelichthyidae – Rovers
Family: Gerreidae – Pursemouths
Threadfin pursemouth Gerres filamentosus Cuvier, 1829 (Indo-Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Smallscale pursemouth Gerres longirostris (Lacepède, 1801) (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique) [3] [4] (syn. Gerres acinaces ) Oblong pursemouth, slender silver-biddy , Gerres oblongus Cuvier, 1830 (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Kosi Bay ) [3] Slenderspine pursemouth, common silver-biddy , Gerres oyena (Forsskål, 1775) (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Kosi Bay ) [3] Evenfin pursemouth, striped silverbiddy, Gerres methueni Regan, 1920, recorded as syn. Gerres rappi (Barnard, 1927) (Algoa Bay to southern Mozambique) [3] [60] Family: Haemulidae – Rubberlips and grunters
Sailfin rubberlip, painted sweetlips, Diagramma pictum (Thunberg, 1792) (Indo-West Pacific to south Natal) [3] Dusky rubberlip Plectorhinchus chubbi (Regan, 1919) (Transkei to Kenya and India) [3] [4] Lemonfish Plectorhinchus flavomaculatus (Ehrenberg, 1830) (Transkei to Red Sea) [3] Blackspotted rubberlip Plectorhinchus gaterinus (Forsskål, 1775) (Natal to Red Sea) [3] Harry hotlips Plectorhinchus gibbosus (Lacepède, 1802) (Indo-West Pacific, south to Natal) [3] Barred rubberlip Plectorhinchus plagiodesmus Fowler, 1935 (Somalia to Madagascar and Natal) [3] Whitebarred rubberlip Plectorhinchus playfairi (Pellegrin, 1914) (Western Indian Ocean to Port St. Johns ) [3] [4] Minstrel Plectorhinchus schotaf (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific south to Port St. Johns ) [3] Redlip rubberlip Plectorhinchus sordidus (Klunzinger, 1870) (Red Sea to Transkei) [3] Spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii (Lacepède, 1801) (False Bay to India) [3] [4] Grey grunter Pomadasys furcatus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) (Madagascar to Natal, rare south of Durban) [3] Javelin grunter Pomadasys kaakan (Cuvier, 1830) (Indo-Pacific south to Transkei) [3] [4] Saddle grunter Pomadasys maculatus (Bloch, 1797) (Indo-West Pacific south to Transkei) [3] Cock grunter Pomadasys multimaculatus (Playfair, 1866) (Algoa Bay to Zanzibar) [3] Pinky or Piggy Pomadasys olivaceus (Day, 1875) (Cape Agulhas to Mozambique) [4] Striped grunter Pomadasys striatus (Gilchrist and Thompson, 1908) (Knysna to Beira ) [3] [4] Lined piggy Pomadasys stridens (Forsskål, 1775) (Red Sea to Natal) [3] Family: Labridae – Wrasses
Bluespotted tamarin, blue-spotted wrasse , Anampses caeruleopunctatus Rüppell, 1829 (Red Sea to Algoa Bay ) [3] Lined tamarin, lined wrasse , Anampses lineatus Randall, 1972 (Red Sea south to Natal) [3] Yellowtail tamarin, spotted wrasse , Anampses meleagrides Valenciennes, 1840 (Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Natal wrasse , Anchichoerops natalensis (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Known only from Natal and Transkei) [3] Lyretail hogfish , Bodianus anthioides (Bennett, 1830) (Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Turncoat hogfish Bodianus axillaris (Bennett, 1831) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Saddleback hogfish Bodianus bilunulatus (Lacepède, 1801) (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Diana's hogfish , Bodianus diana (Lacepède, 1801) (Port Elizabeth northwards) [4] (Indo-Pacific south to Transkei) [3] Lined hogfish Bodianus leucosticticus (Bennett, 1831) (Somalia south to Natal) [3] Goldsaddle hogfish Bodianus perditio (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) (Northern Mozambique to Natal) [3] Floral wrasse , Cheilinus chlorourus (Bloch, 1791) (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Snooty wrasse , Cheilinus oxycephalus (Bleeker, 1853) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Tripletail wrasse , Cheilinus trilobatus Lacepéde, 1801 (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Cigar wrasse , Cheilio inermis (Forsskål, 1775) (Red sea south to Transkei) [3] Exquisite wrasse , Cirrhilabrus exquisitus Smith, 1957 (East Africa south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Clown coris , Coris aygula Lacepéde, 1801 (Indo-Pacific south to Transkei) [3] Spottail coris Coris caudimacula (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) (Red Sea south to East London ) [3] Queen coris , Coris formosa (Bennett, 1830) (Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] African coris, Coris cuvieri (Bennett, 1831), recorded as syn. Coris gaimard africana Smith, 1957 (Western Indian Ocean to 30°S) [3] [61] Knife wrasse Cymolutes praetextatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Birdfish Gomphosus caeruleus Lacepède, 1801 (Port Alfred northwards) [4] (Indian Ocean south to southern Natal) [3] Adorned wrasse Halichoeres cosmetus Randall and Smith, 1982 (Western Indian Ocean south to Aliwal Shoal ) [3] Bubblefin wrasse, Halichoeres nigrescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), recorded as syn. Halichoeres dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1839) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [62] Checkerboard wrasse , Halichoeres hortulanus (Lacepède, 1801) (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [4] Rainbow wrasse Halichoeres iridis Randall & Smith 1982 (East African coast to Natal (30°S)) [3] Jewelled wrasse Halichoeres lapillus Smith, 1947 (Mauritius, Madagascar and southern Mozambique to Natal) [3] Picture wrasse, nebulous wrasse , Halichoeres nebulosus (Valenciennes, 1839) (Indo-West Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] [4] Zigzag sand wrasse Halichoeres scapularis (Bennett, 1831) (Red Sea to Natal) [3] Ringed wrasse Hologymnosus doliatus (Lacepéde, 1801) (Central Pacific to East Africa and south to southern Natal) [3] Bicoloured cleaner wrasse Labroides bicolor Fowler and Bean, 1928 (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Bluestreak cleaner wrasse , Labroides dimidiatus (Valenciennes, 1839) (Indo-Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] [4] Divided wrasse Macropharyngodon bipartitus Smith, 1957 (Western Indian Ocean south to Natal) [3] Bluespotted wrasse Macropharyngodon cyanoguttatus Randall, 1978 (Known only from Mauritius, Reunion and north coast of Natal) [3] Madagascar wrasse Macropharyngodon vivienae Randall, 1978 (Known only from Madagascar and Natal coast south to Durban ) [3] Seagrass wrasse, Novaculoides macrolepidotus (Bloch, 1791), recorded as syn. Novaculichthys macrolepidotus (Bloch 1791), (Red Sea south to Durban ) [3] [63] Rockmover wrasse Novaculichthys taeniourus (Lacepéde, 1801) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Two-spot wrasse, Oxycheilinus bimaculatus (Valenciennes, 1840), recorded as syn. Cheilinus bimaculatus Valenciennes, 1840 (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [64] Cheek-lined wrasse , Oxycheilinus digramma (Lacepède, 1801), recorded as Cheilinus digrammus (Lacepède, 1801) (Red Sea south to Natal) [3] [65] Striated wrasse , Pseudocheilinus evanidus (Jenkins, 1901) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Sixstripe wrasse, six-line wrasse , Pseudocheilinus hexataenia (Bleeker, 1857) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Eightstripe wrasse, eight-lined wrasse , Pseudocheilinus octotaenia Jenkins, 1900 (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Chiseltooth wrasse , Pseudodax moluccanus (Valenciennes, 1839) (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Smalltail wrasse Pseudojuloides cerasinus (Snyder, 1904) (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Cocktail wrasse Pteragogus flagellifer (Valenciennes, 1839) (Indian Ocean south to Natal) [3] Sideburn wrasse Pteragogus pelycus Randall, 1981 (Western Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] Bluelined wrasse Stethojulis albovittata Bonnaterre, 1788 (Red Sea to Natal) [3] Cutribbon wrasse Stethojulis interrupta (Bleeker, 1851) (Western Pacific to East Africa and south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Three-ribbon wrasse Stethojulis strigiventer (Bennett, 1832) (Central Pacific to east Africa and south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Twotone wrasse Thalassoma amblycephalum (Bleeker, 1856) (Indo-Pacific south to Transkei) [3] Red-cheek wrasse , Thalassoma genivittatum (Valenciennes, 1839) (Mauritius and Natal, where it is known from Aliwal Shoal ) [3] Sixbar wrasse , Thalassoma hardwicke (Bennett, 1828) (Indo-Pacific south to Bashee River ) [3] Goldbar wrasse , Thalassoma hebraicum (Lacepède, 1801) (Indian Ocean south to Algoa Bay ) [4] Crescent-tail wrasse, moon wrasse , Thalassoma lunare (Linnaeus, 1758) Indo-Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Rainbow wrasse or surge wrasse , Thalassoma purpureum (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] [4] Fivestripe wrasse , Thalassoma quinquevittatum (Lay and Bennett, 1839) (Indo-Pacific south to Transkei (32°S)) [3] Ladder wrasse, Christmas wrasse , Thalassoma trilobatum (Lacepéde, 1801) (Indo-Pacific south to Transkei) [3] Pearly razorfish Xyrichtys novacula (Linnaeus, 1758) (Both sides of the Atlantic, 1 doubtful record from Cape of Good Hope ) [3] Peacock wrasse, Iniistius pavo (Valenciennes, 1840), recorded as syn. Xyrichtys pavo Valenciennes, 1840 (Red sea to Natal) [3] [66] Fivefinger wrasse, Iniistius pentadactylus (Linnaeus, 1758), recorded as syn. Xyrichtys pentadactylus (Linnaeus 1758), (Red Sea to Natal) [3] [67] Family: Lethrinidae – Emperors
Glowfish Gnathodentex aureolineatus (Lacepède, 1802) (Indo-West Pacific to Durban ) [3] [4] Grey barenose Gymnocranius griseus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] [4] Rippled barenose, Gymnocranius grandoculis (Valenciennes, 1830), recorded as syn. Gymnocranius robinsoni (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [68] Yellowfin emperor Lethrinus crocineus (Smith, 1959) (Western Indian Ocean south to Natal) [3] Longnose emperor, Lethrinus microdon Valenciennes, 1830, recorded as syn. Lethrinus elongatus Valenciennes, 1830, (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] [69] Blackspot emperor Lethrinus harak (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Redspot emperor Lethrinus lentjan (Lacepède, 1802) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [4] Sky emperor Lethrinus mahsena (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Snubnose emperor, Lethrinus lentjan (Lacepède, 1802), recorded as syn. Lethrinus mahsenoides Valenciennes, 1830 (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [70] Blue emperor Lethrinus nebulosus (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific to Algoa Bay ) [3] [4] Orange striped emperor, Lethrinus obsoletus (Forsskål, 1775), recorded as syn. Lethrinus ramak (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific to Natal) [3] [71] Spotcheek emperor Lethrinus rubrioperculatus Sato, 1978 (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Cutthroat emperor, Lethrinus mahsena (Forsskål, 1775), recorded as syn. Lethrinus sanguineus Smith, 1955 (Western Indian Ocean south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [72] Variegated emperor Lethrinus variegatus Ehrenberg, 1830 (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Bigeye barenose Monotaxis grandoculis (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] [4] Family: Lutjanidae – Snappers
Blue smalltooth job Aphareus furca (Forsskål, 1775) (Tropical Indo-Pacific to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Red smalltooth job Aphareus rutilans Cuvier, 1830 (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Kaakap or Green jobfish Aprion virescens Valenciennes, 1830 (Central KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique) [3] [4] Ruby snapper Etelis coruscans Valenciennes, 1862 (Tropical/subtropical Indo-Pacific south to Bashee River ) [3] River snapper Lutjanus argentimaculatus (Forsskål, 1775) (Red sea and tropical Indo-Pacific south to East London ) [3] [4] Twinspot snapper Lutjanus bohar (Forsskål, 1775) (Red Sea and tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Blackspot snapper Lutjanus ehrenbergii (Peters, 1869) (Red Sea and tropical Indo-West pacific south to Natal) [3] Dory snapper Lutjanus fulviflamma (Forsskål, 1775) (Red Sea and tropical Indo-West Pacific south to East London ) [3] Yellow striped snapper Lutjanus fulvus (Schneider, 1801) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Bashee River ) [3] Humpback snapper Lutjanus gibbus (Forsskål, 1775) (Red Sea and tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Bluebanded snapper Lutjanus kasmira (Forsskål, 1775) (Red Sea and tropical Indo-West Pacific south to East London ) [3] [4] Sweetlip snapper Lutjanus lemniscatus (Valenciennes, 1828) (Tropical Indian Ocean to Durban ) [3] Bluestriped snapper Lutjanus notatus (Cuvier, 1828) (East African coast south to Durban ) [3] Speckled snapper Lutjanus rivulatus (Cuvier, 1828) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Russell's snapper Lutjanus russellii (Bleeker, 1849) (Central KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique) [4] Blood snapper Lutjanus sanguineus (Cuvier, 1828) (Western Indian Ocean south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Emperor snapper Lutjanus sebae (Cuvier, 1816) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Black beauty Macolor niger (Forsskål, 1775) (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay , 1 juvenile from Durban ) [3] Yellowtail fuselier Paracaesio xanthura (Bleeker, 1869) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Rosy jobfish Pristipomoides filamentosus (Day, 1870) (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to East London ) [3] Family: Malacanthidae – Tilefishes
Family: Monodactylidae – Moonies
Family: Nemipteridae – Butterfly breams, spinecheeks
Family: Priacanthidae – Bigeyes
Family: Scaridae – Parrotfishes
Christmas parrotfish Calotomus carolinus (Valenciennes, 1840) (Eastern Pacific to Natal) [3] Blue moon parrotfish, Chlorurus atrilunula (Randall & Bruce, 1983), recorded as syn. Scarus atrilunula Randall and Bruce, 1983 (Kenya to Natal) [3] [74] Blue humphead parrotfish Chlorurus cyanescens (Valenciennes, 1840) (Mauritius, Madagascar, Zanzibar and Natal to 30°S) [3] [4] (syn. Scarus cyanescens ) Bullethead parrotfish, Chlorurus sordidus (Forsskål, 1775), recorded as syn. Scarus sordidus Forsskål, 1775 (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] [75] Marbled parrotfish Leptoscarus vaigiensis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) (East Africa south to Transkei) [3] Redbarred parrotfish Scarus caudofasciatus (Günther, 1862) (Western Indian Ocean to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Lunate parrotfish Scarus festivus Valenciennes, 1840 (French Polynesia to east Africa; observed off Sodwana Bay ) [3] Bluebarred parrotfish Scarus ghobban Forsskål, 1775 (Red sea to Algoa Bay ) [3] Roundhead parrotfish Scarus globiceps Valenciennes, 1840 (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Dusky parrotfish Scarus niger Forsskål, 1775 (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Palenose parrotfish Scarus psittacus Forsskål, 1775 (Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Ember parrotfish Scarus rubroviolaceus Bleeker, 1847 (Eastern Pacific to Durban ) [3] [4] Eclipse parrotfish Scarus russelii (Tropical and subtropical Indian Ocean from India westwards but not Persian Gulf or Red Sea. One specimen from Sodwana Bay ) [3] Fivesaddle parrotfish Scarus scaber Valenciennes, 1840 (East Africa south to Natal) [3] Tricolour parrotfish Scarus tricolor Bleeker, 1847 (East Africa south to Natal) [3] Family: Sciaenidae – Kobs
Kob, Giant Kob or Kabeljou Argyrosomus japonicus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843) (Namibia to Natal) [3] [4] previously misidentified as Argyrosomus hololepidotus (Lacepède, 1801) [3] Squaretail kob Argyrosomus thorpei Smith, 1977 (Algoa Bay to Tugela River ) [3] [4] Geelbek Atractoscion aequidens (Cuvier, 1830) (Angola to northern KwaZulu-Natal) [3] [4] Longfin Kob Atrobucca nibe (Jordan and Thompson, 1911) (Natal) [3] Bellfish, small kob, Johnius amblycephalus (Bleeker, 1855), also recorded as syn. Johnius dussumieri (Cuvier, 1830) (Indo-West Pacific to Algoa Bay ) [3] [4] [76] Snapper kob Otolithes ruber (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Baardman or Belman Umbrina canariensis Valenciennes, 1843 (Morocco to the Cape of Good Hope through to Pakistan) [3] [4] Slender baardman Umbrina ronchus Valenciennes, 1843 (KwaZulu-Natal) [3] [4] Family: Sillaginidae – Sillagos
Family: Sparidae – Seabreams
River bream Acanthopagrus berda (Forsskål, 1775) (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Knysna ) [3] [4] Two-bar seabream Acanthopagrus bifasciatus (Forsskål, 1775) (Red Sea to Natal) [3] Soldier bream Argyrops filamentosus (Valenciennes, 1830) (Red Sea to Natal) [3] King soldierbream Argyrops spinifer (Forsskål, 1775) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Knysna )) [3] [4] Carpenter Argyrozona argyrozona (Valenciennes, 1830) (Cape Columbine to central KwaZulu-Natal) [3] [4] Fransmadam Boopsoidea inornata Castelnau, 1861 (Cape Columbine to central KwaZulu-Natal) [3] [4] Santer Cheimerius nufar (Valenciennes, 1830) (Mossel Bay to Mozambique) [4] Englishman Chrysoblephus anglicus (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique) [3] [4] Dageraad Chrysoblephus cristiceps (Valenciennes, 1830) (Cape Point to Durban) [3] [4] Red stumpnose or Miss Lucy Chrysoblephus gibbiceps (Valenciennes, 1830) (Cape Point to East London ) [3] [4] Roman Chrysoblephus laticeps (Valenciennes, 1830) (Cape Point to southern KwaZulu-Natal) [4] (Cape to Mauritius) [3] False Englishman Chrysoblephus lophus (Fowler, 1925) (Transkei to Northern KwaZulu-Natal) [4] (Natal) [3] Slinger Chrysoblephus puniceus (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Knysna to Mozambique) [3] [4] White karanteen Crenidens crenidens (Forsskål, 1775) (Red Sea to East London ) [3] [4] Poenskop or Black musselcracker Cymatoceps nasutus (Castelnau, 1861) (Cape Columbine to Durban ) [3] [4] Blacktail Diplodus capensis (Smith, 1844) (Angola to Madagascar) [3] [4] (syn. Diplodus sargus capensis ) Zebra, Diplodus hottentotus (Smith, 1844) recorded as syn. Diplodus cervinus hottentotus (Smith, 1844) (Cape Point to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [4] [78] Janbruin Gymnocrotaphus curvidens Günther, 1859 (Cape Point to Durban ) [3] [4] West coast steenbras Lithognathus aureti Smith, 1962 (West coast; Cape Town to Angola) [3] [4] White steenbras Lithognathus lithognathus (Cuvier, 1829) (Orange River to Durban ) [3] [4] Sand steenbras Lithognathus mormyrus (Linnaeus, 1758)(Mediterranean to the Cape of Good Hope and round to Mozambique) [3] [4] Blue hottentot Pachymetopon aeneum (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Cape Point to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [4] Hottentot Pachymetopon blochii (Valenciennes, 1830) (Angola to Cape Agulhas ) [3] [4] Bronze bream Pachymetopon grande Günther, 1859 (Mossel Bay to Mozambique) [4] (Cape to Madagascar) [3] Red tjor-tjor or Sand soldier Pagellus natalensis Steindachner, 1903 (Mossel Bay to Madagascar) [3] [4] (syn. Pagellus bellottii natalensis ) Red steenbras Petrus rupestris (Valenciennes, 1830) (Cape Point to Durban ) [3] [4] German Polyamblyodon germanum (Barnard, 1934) (East London to Maputo ) [3] [4] Christie Polyamblyodon gibbosum (Pellegrin) (Natal to Beira ) [3] Blueskin Polysteganus coeruleopunctatus Klunzinger, 1870 (Red Sea to Natal south coast) [3] Scotsman Polysteganus praeorbitalis (Günther, 1859) (Port Elizabeth to Beira ) [3] [4] Seventy-four Polysteganus undulosus (Regan, 1908) (Port Elizabeth to Maputo ) [4] (Cape of Good Hope to Delagoa Bay ) [3] Dane Porcostoma dentata (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Central KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique) [4] (Knysna to Beira ) [3] Panga Pterogymnus laniarius (Valenciennes, 1830) (Cape Point to Transkei) [4] (Cape to Beira) [3] White stumpnose Rhabdosargus globiceps (Valenciennes, 1830) (Namibia to East London ) [4] (Angola to Natal) [3] Cape stumpnose Rhabdosargus holubi (Steindachner, 1881) (Cape Agulhas to Maputo ) [4] (Cape to Natal) [3] Natal stumpnose Rhabdosargus sarba (Forsskål, 1775) (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique) [4] (Red sea to Knysna) [3] Bigeye stumpnose Rhabdosargus thorpei Smith, 1979 (Durban to southern Mozambique) [4] Strepie Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cape Columbine to Maputo ) [4] (Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic round South Africa to southern Mozambique) [3] Musselcracker Sparodon durbanensis (Castelnau, 1861) (Cape Columbine to Durban ) [3] [4] Picarel , Spicara australe (Regan, 1921) (Known only from off Natal) [3] [79] Windtoy , Spicara axillare (Boulanger, 1900) (Known only from Cape Town to Natal) [3] [80] Steentjie Spondyliosoma emarginatum (Valenciennes, 1830) (Saldanha Bay to Durban ) Spondyliosoma emarginatum [4] Family: Bregmacerotidae – Codlets
Family: Lotidae – Lings and rocklings
Family: Macrouridae – Grenadiers
Bathygadus favosus Goode and Bean, 1886 (off Cape Town) [3] Bathygadus melanobranchus Vaillant, 1888 (Table Bay and Natal coast. Unverified, specimens missing) [3] Bathygadus sp. (cf. favosus Goode and Bean) (Mozambique and Agulhas Bank) [3] Coelorinchus acanthiger Barnard, 1925 (off Namibia to Cape Point) [3] Coelorinchus braueri Barnard, 1925 (Saldanha and Table Bay, Cape Point, East London; Angola to Mozambique) [3] Coelorinchus denticulatus Regan, 1921 (Natal coast to Tanzania) [3] [81] Coelorinchus fasciatus (Günther, 1878) (off south coast) [3] Coelorinchus flabellispinis (Alcock, 1894) (Indian Ocean. specimens from southern Africa differ somewhat from those off India an may be a different species) [3] Mahia whiptail , Coelorinchus matamua (McCann & McKnight, 1980) (apparently abundant off South Africa, also found off New Zealand and southern Australia) [3] (syn. Mahia matamua McCann and McKnight, 1980) Abyssal grenadier , Coryphaenoides armatus (Hector, 1875) (abyssal, all oceans except Arctic. One Atlantic record off South Africa) [3] Coryphaenoides striaturus Barnard, 1925 (off Cape Point) [3] Longrayed whiptail , Coryphaenoides subserrulatus Makushok, 1976 (Agulhas bank) [3] Gadomus capensis (Gilchrist and von Bonde, 1924) (Table Bay to Mozambique) [3] Macrourus holotrachys Günther, 1878 (Cape Point and Prince Edward Island; also off New Zealand and southwestern Australia) [3] Kuronezumia leonis (Barnard, 1925), recorded as syn. Nezumia leonis (Barnard, 1925) (off Cape Point); Namibia; southwestern Atlantic) [3] [82] Lucigadus ori (Smith, 1968), recorded as syn. Ventrifossa ori (Smith, 1968) (off Agulhas bank, Durban and East London) [3] [83] Malacocephalus laevis (Lowe, 1843) (off South Africa; widespread in Atlantic and Indian oceans) [3] Mesovagus antipodum (Hubbs & Iwamoto, 1977), recorded as syn. Mesobius antipodum Hubbs and Iwamoto, 1977 (off south coast of SA; New Zealand, eastern Indian Ocean and Madagascar plateau) [3] [84] Nezumia brevibarbata (Barnard, 1925) (Cape Point; Known only off the Cape, where it is common) [3] Trachyrincus scabrus (Rafinesque, 1810) (Namibia, west coast of South Africa; eastern North Atlantic and Mediterranean sea) [3] Ventrifossa aff. divergens Gilbert and Hubbs, 1920 (off East London, Durban, Natal and southern Mozambique) [3] Ventrifossa nasuta (Smith, 1935) (Durban to Mozambique) [3] Family: Melanonidae – Melanonids
Family: Merlucciidae – Hakes
Family: Moridae – Deepsea cods
Blue antimora , Antimora rostrata (Günther, 1878) (Locally abundant, found in most oceans) [4] Guttigadus globiceps (Gilchrist, 1906), recorded as syn. Laemonema globiceps Gilchrist, 1906 (off south-western Cape coast) [4] [85] Laemonema compressicauda (Gilchrist, 1904) (2 small specimens off Transkei) [4] Lepidion capensis Gilchrist, 1922 (Cape to East London) [4] Lepidion natalensis Gilchrist, 1922 (continental slope off Natal) [4] Physiculus capensis Gilchrist, 1922 (Cape Peninsula to East London) [4] Physiculus natalensis Gilchrist, 1922 (upper slope off Natal) [4] Grenadier cod , Tripterophycis gilchristi Boulenger, 1902 (upper slope off the Cape and Durban) [4] Family: Eleotridae – Sleepers
Duckbill sleeper, crazy fish , Butis butis (Hamilton, 1822) (Tropical Indo-West pacific south to Mgeni Beachwood estuary) [3] [86] Blackspot sleeper Butis melanostigma (Bleeker, 1849) (Port St Johns . Also tropical western Pacific) [3] Dusky sleeper Eleotris fusca (Forster, 1801) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Coffee Bay ) [3] [87] Widehead sleeper Eleotris mauritiana (Bennett, 1832) (Umtata River to Mozambique) [3] [88] Broadhead sleeper Eleotris melanosoma Bleeker, 1853 (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Qora River ) [3] [89] Golden sleeper, Hypseleotris cyprinoides (Valenciennes, 1837), recorded as syn, Hypseleotris dayi Smith, 1950 (Fresh and brackish water, St. Lucia and Empangeni , Natal) [3] [90] Flathead sleeper Ophiocara porocephala (Valenciennes, 1837) (Durban to Shimoni ) [3] Family: Gobiidae – Gobies
Subfamily: Amblyopinae
Subfamily: Gobiinae
Mangrove goby Acentrogobius audax Smith, 1959 (Natal) [3] Shadow goby, Acentrogobius nebulosus (Forsskål, 1775), recorded as syn. Yongeichthys nebulosus (Forsskål, 1775). (Western tropical Pacific and Indian oceans south to Durban ) [3] [92] Pinkbar goby , Amblyeleotris aurora (Polunin & Lubbock, 1977) (Islands of western Indian Ocean from Maldives southwards and northern Natal) [3] Gorgeous goby, gorgeous prawn goby , Amblyeleotris wheeleri (Polunin & Lubbock, 1977) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Butterfly goby Amblygobius albimaculatus (Rüppell, 1830) (Read sea south to Durban ) [3] Starryfin goby Asterropteryx semipunctata Rüppell, 1830 (Ind-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Bearded goby, cryptic bearded goby , Barbuligobius boehlkei Lachler & McKinney, 1974 (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Whitespotted goby, Bathygobius coalitus (Bennett, 1832), recorded as syn. Bathygobius albopunctatus (Valenciennes, 1837), (Inhaca south to Transkei) [3] [93] Cocos frillgoby Bathygobius cocosensis (Bleeker, 1854) (Indo-Pacific south to Transkei) [3] Cheekscaled frillgoby Bathygobius cotticeps (Steindachner, 1880) (Indo-Pacific south to Coffee Bay ) [3] Spotted frillgoby Bathygobius cyclopterus (Valenciennes, 1837) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Transkei) [3] Brownboy goby Bathygobius laddi (Fowler, 1931) (Inhaca to Coffee Bay ) [3] Black minigoby Bathygobius niger (Smith, 1960) (Transkei to Natal, also India and Sri-Lanka) [3] Brownlined goby , Bathygobius sp. (Indo-West Pacific south to Xora River ) [3] Agulhas goby Caffrogobius agulhensis (Barnard, 1927) (False Bay to East London ) [3] Banded goby Caffrogobius caffer (Günther, 1874) (Natal to False Bay ) [3] [4] Prison goby, Caffrogobius gilchristi (Boulenger, 1898), also recorded as syn. Caffrogobius multifasciatus (Smith, 1959), (Table Bay to Mozambique Island) [3] [4] Baldy, Caffrogobius natalensis (Günther, 1874) (Knysna to Natal) [3] Barehead goby, Caffrogobius nudiceps (Valenciennes, 1827) (Walvis Bay to East London ) [3] [4] Commafin goby, Caffrogobius saldanha (Barnard, 1927) (Saldanha Bay to southern Transkei) [3] Pacific goby, Callogobius sclateri (Steindachner, 1880) (Sodwana Bay and tropical Pacific) [3] Kaalpens goby, Coryogalops william (Smith, 1948), also recorded as syn. Monishia william (Smith, 1947), (Inhaca to Still Bay ) [3] Naked goby Croilia mossambica Smith, 1955 (Southern Mozambique to south of Durban ) [3] [94] Sailfin goby, Myersina pretoriusi (Smith, 1958), recorded as syn. Cryptocentrus pretoriusi Smith, 1958 (Known only from Pondoland) [3] [95] Blackthroat goby, Favonigobius melanobranchus (Fowler, 1934) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Tropical sand goby, Favonigobius reichei Bleeker, 1953 (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Barenape goby, Fusigobius duospilus Hoese & Reader, 1985 (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Longspine goby Fusigobius longispinus Goren, 1978 (Kenya to Durban ) [3] Sleepy goby , Psammogobius biocellatus (Valenciennes, 1837), recorded as syn. Glossogobius biocellatus (Valenciennes, 1837) (Indo-Pacific south to East London ) [3] [96] River goby Glossogobius callidus (Smith, 1937) (Aldabra, Mozambique, south to Port Elizabeth ) [3] Tank goby , Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton, 1822) (Indo-West Pacific south to Port St. Johns ) [3] Rippled coralgoby Gobiodon rivulatus (Rüppell) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Poreless goby Hetereleotris apora (Hoese and Winterbottom, 1979) (Sodwana Bay ) [3] Smoothscale goby Hetereleotris margaretae Hoese, 1986 (Known only from Sodwana Bay) [3] Locusthead Hetereleotris tentaculata (Seychelles and Sodwana Bay ) [3] Goggles Hetereleotris zonata (Fowler, 1934) (Natal to Port Alfred ) [3] Decorated goby Istigobius decoratus (Herre, 1927) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Pearl goby Istigobius spence (Smith, 1946) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Taileyed goby Parachaeturichthys polynema (Bleeker, 1953) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Redhead goby Paragobiodon echinocephalus (Rüppell, 1830) (Indo-West Pacific, associated with Stylophora coral) [3] Backfin goby Paragobiodon lacunicolus (Kendall & Goldsborough, 1911) (Indo-Pacific) [3] Emerald goby Paragobiodon xanthosoma (Bleeker, 1852) (Indo-West Pacific, associated with the coral Seriatopora hystrix ) [3] Scalynape goby Pleurosicya annandalei (Hornell & Fowler, 1922) (Sodwana Bay ) [3] Toothy goby Pleurosicya mossambica (Smith, 1959) (Sodwana Bay , Mozambique, Seychelles and tropical Indo-West Pacific) [3] Pleurosicya sp. 1 (Sodwana Bay , Seychelles, Chagos archipelago, tropical Indian Ocean and western tropical Pacific) [3] Convict goby Priolepis cincta (Regan, 1908) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Sodwana goby Priolepis sp. (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Knysna sandgoby Psammogobius knysnaensis Smith, 1935 (Port Nolloth to northern KwaZulu-Natal) [3] [4] Barebreast goby, sibayi goby , Silhouettea sibayi Farquharson, 1970 (Known only from Lake Sibayi and Kosi Bay ) [3] Pelagic goby , Sufflogobius bibarbatus (von Bonde, 1923) (Port Nolloth to Saldanha Bay ) [3] Polkadot goby Trimma corallinum (Smith, 1969) (Phinda to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Flame goby Trimma macrophthalmum (Tomiyama, 1936) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Pennant glider Valenciennea strigata (Broussonet, 1787) (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay [3] Subfamily: Gobionellinae
Freshwater goby Awaous aeneofuscus (Peters, 1852) (Estuaries and freshwaters from Algoa Bay to Zambezi ) [3] Weeper Gnatholepis sp. 1 (Western Indian Ocean south to Transkei ) [3] Slender weeper Gnatholepis sp. 2 (Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Durban goby Mugilogobius durbanensis (Barnard, 1927) (Southern Mozambique to Coffee Bay ) [3] Meander goby, Mugilogobius mertoni (Weber, 1911), recorded as syn. Mugilogobius inhacae (Smith, 1959) (Southern Mozambique to Natal) [3] [97] Sharptail goby Oligolepis acutipennis (Valenciennes, 1837) (Indo-West Pacific south to Great Fish River ) [3] Kei goby , Oxyurichthys keiensis (Smith, 1938), recorded as syn. Oligolepis keiensis (Smith, 1938) (Seychelles, Madagascar and Inhaca to Fish River Mouth ) [3] [98] Maned goby Oxyurichthys microlepis (Bleeker, 1849) (Indo-West Pacific south to Xora River mouth) [3] Eyebrow goby Oxyurichthys ophthalmonema (Bleeker, 1857) (Indo-West Pacific south to Xora River mouth) [3] Dwarfgoby Pandaka silvana (Barnard, 1943) (Northern Mozambique to Knysna ) [3] Bigmouth goby Redigobius bikolanus (Herre, 1927) (Indo-Pacific south to Coffee Bay ) [3] Checked goby Redigobius dewaali (Weber, 1897) (Freshwater and estuarine, Southern Mozambique to Knysna ) [3] Subfamily: Oxudercinae
African mudhopper, common mudskipper , Periophthalmus kalolo Lesson, 1831, also recorded as syn. Periophthalmus koelreuteri , (Seychelles, Kenya to Transkei) [3] [4] Bigfin mudhopper, barred mudskipper , Periophthalmus argentilineatus Valenciennes, 1837, also recorded as syn. Periophthalmus sobrinus Eggert, 1935, (Port Alfred to Red Sea) [3] [4] Family: Microdesmidae – Gobies
Subfamily: Ptereleotrinae
Family: Trichonotidae – Sand divers
Family: Holocentridae – Squirrelfishes and Soldierfishes
Subfamily: Holocentrinae – Squirrelfishes
Subfamily: Myripristinae – Soldierfishes
Shadowfin soldier Myripristis adusta Bleeker, 1853 (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Bigscale soldier, Blotcheye soldierfish , Myripristis berndti Jordan and Evermann, 1903 (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Pale soldier, Myripristis botche Cuvier, 1829, recorded as sym. Myripristis melanosticta Bleeker, 1863, (Indian ocean (Sri Lanka, Maldives and Sodwana Bay) to Japan and New Hebrides) [3] [100] Yellowfin soldier, Myripristis chryseres Jordan and Evermann, 1903 (Aliwal shoal) [3] Epaulette soldier, Myripristis kuntee (Cuvier, 1831) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Blotcheye soldier, Myripristis murdjan (Forsskål, 1775) (Transkei to Mozambique) [4] (Red Sea and Ind-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Lattice soldier Myripristis violacea Bleeker, 1851, (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Shy soldier Plectrypops lima (Valenciennes, 1831) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Family: Apogonidae – Cardinal fishes (see also Epigonidae)
Subfamily: Apogoninae
Ruby cardinal Apogon coccineus Rüppell, 1838 (Red Sea south to Durban ) [3] Threeband cardinal Apogon semiornatus Peters, 1876 (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Sad cardinal, Apogonichthyoides timorensis (Bleeker, 1854), recorded as syn. Apogon timorensis Bleeker, 1854 (Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [101] Ocellated cardinal Apogonichthys ocellatus (Weber, 1913) (Indo-West Pacific south to Coffee Bay ) [3] Speckled cardinal , Apogonichthys Bleeker, 1954 (Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea to Sodwana Bay ) [3] (check source) Tiger cardinal, Cheilodipterus macrodon (Lacepède, 1802), recorded as syn. Cheilodipterus lineatus Lacepède, 1801 (Sodwana Bay to Red Sea) [3] [102] Masked cardinal, Fibramia thermalis (Cuvier, 1829), recorded as syn. Apogon thermalis Cuvier, 1829 (Indo-West Pacific to southern Natal) [3] [103] Foa, Foa brachygramma (Jenkins, 1903) (Indo-Pacific south to Natal) [3] Crosseyed cardinal, Fowleria aurita (Valenciennes, 1831) (Natal to Red Sea) [3] Spotfin cardinal, Jaydia queketti (Gilchrist, 1903), recorded as syn. Apogon queketti Gilchrist, 1903, (Natal coast to southern Red Sea) [3] [104] Smallscale cardinal, Lepidamia multitaeniata (Cuvier, 1828), recorded as syn. Apogon multitaeniatus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Red Sea to Durban ) [3] [105] Broadstriped cardinal, Ostorhinchus angustatus (Smith & Radcliffe, 1911), recorded as syn. Apogon angustatus (Smith and Radcliffe, 1911) (Red Sea to Natal) [3] [4] [106] Diamond cardinal, short tooth cardinal, Ostorhinchus apogonoides (Bleeker, 1856), recorded as syn. Apogon apogonides (Bleeker, 1856) (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [107] and as syn. Apogon enigmaticus (Smith, 1961) (1 specimen off Durban ) [3] [108] Bandtail cardinal, ring-tailed cardinalfish , Ostorhinchus aureus (Lacepède, 1802), recorded as syn. Apogon aureus (Lacepède, 1802) (Red Sea south to Durban ) [3] [4] [109] Blackbanded cardinal, Ostorhinchus cookii (MacLeay, 1881), recorded as syn. Apogon cookii Macleay, 1881 (Western Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] [4] [110] Coachwhip cardinal, Ostorhinchus flagelliferus Smith, 1961, recorded as syn. Apogon flagelliferus (Smith, 1961) (Sodwana Bay and Mozambique) [3] [111] Blackfoot cardinal, Ostorhinchus nigripes (Playfair, 1867), recorded as syn. Apogon nigripes Playfair, 1867 (Lake St. Lucia northwards, probably to Red Sea) [3] [112] Ninestripe cardinal, Ostorhinchus taeniophorus (Regan, 1908), recorded as syn. Apogon taeniophorus Regan, 1908 (Indian Ocean south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [4] [113] Spurcheek cardinal, Pristiapogon fraenatus (Valenciennes, 1832), recorded as syn. Apogon fraenatus Valenciennes, 1832 (Durban to Red Sea) [3] [114] Spinyhead cardinal, Pristiapogon kallopterus (Bleeker, 1856), recorded as syn. Apogon kallopterus Bleeker, 1856 (Algoa Bay to Red Sea) [3] [115] Arrow cardinal Rhabdamia gracilis (Bleeker, 1856) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Sea urchin cardinal Siphamia mossambica Smith, 1955 (Kenya to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Shimmering cardinal, Taeniamia lineolata , (Cuvier, 1828) Archamia lineolata (Ehrenberg, 1828) (Indo-Pacific, Red sea to Durban ) [3] [116] Mozambique cardinal, Taeniamia mozambiquensis (Smith, 1961), recorded as syn. Archamia mozambiquensis Smith, 1961 (Zanzibar to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [117] Subfamily: Pseudaminae
Family: Lamprididae – Opahs (Lampridae in Smiths)
Spotted opah Lampris guttatus (Brünnich, 1788) (all oceans but not in polar waters, occurs throughout South African waters, usually well offshore) [3] Southern opah Lampris immaculatus Gilchrist, 1904 (Circumglobal south of 30°S) [3] Family: Lophotidae – Crestfishes
Unicorn crestfish Eumecichthys fiski (Günther, 1890) (1 specimen, Kalk Bay in False Bay) [3] Crestfish Lophotus lacepede Giorna, 1809 (Cape to Plettenberg Bay, rare but widely distributed in all oceans) [3] Family: Radiicephalidae – Tapertail
Family: Regalecidae – Oarfishes
Family: Trachipteridae – Ribbonfishes
Polka-dot ribbonfish Desmodema polystictum (Ogilby, 1898) (1 juvenile washed ashore at Xora river and 1 found at Simon's Town, False Bay) [3] Blacktail ribbonfish Trachipterus jacksonensis (Ramsay, 1881) (East London and off Cape Town) [3] Peregrine ribbonfish Trachipterus trachypterus (Gmelin, 1789) (off Table Bay) [3] Scalloped ribbonfish Zu cristatus (Bonelli, 1819), (prejuveniles collected at Luderitz, Algoa bay and Durban) [3] Taper tail ribbonfish Zu elongatus (Heemstra and Kannemeyer, 1984) (4 specimens trawled off the western Cape coast) [3] Family: Antennariidae – Anglers
Big angler Antennarius commersoni (Latreille, 1804) (Natal, Red Sea and tropical Indo-West Pacific to Hawaiian islands) [3] Shaggy angler, shaggy frogfish , Antennarius hispidus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) (Indo-West Pacific, south to Knysna) [3] Painted angler, painted frogfish , Antennarius pictus (Shaw and Nodder, 1794) (Durban to Zanzibar and tropical Indo-West Pacific to Hawaii) [3] [4] Striped angler,striated frogfish , Antennarius striatus (Shaw and Nodder, 1794) (Algoa Bay through Indo-West Pacific to Hawaiian islands) [3] Freckled angler Antennatus coccineus (Lesson, 1831), recorded as syn. Antennarius coccineus (Lesson, 1831), (Natal; throughout Indian Ocean, Red Sea and tropical Pacific to Hawaiian islands; Tropical and eastern Pacific off Costa Rica and Cocos and Galapagos islands) [3] [118] Pygmy angler, Antennatus tuberosus (Cuvier, 1817), recorded as syn. Antennarius tuberosus (Cuvier, 1817) (Natal, Maputo, Madagascar, Aldabra islands, and throughout Indo-West Pacific including Hawaiian and Line islands, and Taumotu Archipelago to Pitcairn island) [3] [4] [119] Sargassum fish , Histrio histrio (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cape Point to Mozambique) [3] [4] Family: Ceratiidae – Seadevils
Ceratias holboelli Krøyer, 1845 (single specimen off Cape Town at 34°12'S, 16°35'E; Nearly cosmopolitan in the world's oceans) [3] Ceratias tentaculatus (Norman, 1930) (Specimens from off Dealagoa bay, off southern Natal, off Saldanha bay. Throughout southern oceans) [3] Cryptopsaras couesii Gill, 1883 (off Cape of Good Hope, all major oceans) [3] Family: Chaunacidae – Coffinfishes
Family: Himantolophidae – Footballfish
Family: Linophrynidae – Dwarf anglers
Family: Lophiidae – Monks
Natal monk Lophiodes insidiator (Regan, 1921) (Natal to northern Madagascar) [3] Lophiodes mutilus (Alcock, 1893) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Lophiomus setigerus (Vahl, 1797) (Indo-West Pacific south to False Bay) [3] Monk, Lophius vomerinus (Valenciennes, 1837), also recorded as syn. Lophius upsicephalus Smith, 1841 [121] (off Cape of Good Hope; Eastern South Atlantic and South western Indian Ocean off South Africa; Bay of Bengal off Burma) [3] Family: Melanocetidae – Devil-anglers
Family: Ogcocephalidae – Seabats
Coelophrys micropus (Alcock, 1891), recorded as Halieutopsis micropus (Alcock, 1891) (off Durban; South Africa to Philippines) [3] [122] Circular seabat, Halieutaea fitzsimonsi (Gilchrist and Thompson, 1916) (Plettenberg bay to Tugela river, Natal) [3] Hairy seabat, Halieutaea hancocki Regan, 1908 (Tropical Indian Ocean; off Natal) [3] Spiny seabat, Halieutaea indica Annandale & Jenkins, 1910, recorded as syn. Halieutaea spicata Smith, 1965 (1 specimen, Isipingo, Natal) [3] [123] Longnose seabat, Malthopsis lutea Alcock, 1891 (off Knysna; Eastern Indian Ocean and Japan) [3] Malthopsis mitrigera Gilbert and Cramer, 1897 (Natal to the Philippines, Japan and Hawaii) [3] Spearnose seabat Malthopsis tiarella Jordan, 1902 (Natal and Japan) [3] Solocisquama stellulata (Gilbert, 1905), recorded as syn. Dibranchus stellulatus Gilbert, 1905 (Off Natal; Hawaii) [3] [124] Family: Mugilidae – Mullets
Groovy mullet, Chelon dumerili (Steindachner, 1870), recorded as syn. Liza dumerili (Steindachner, 1870) (Breede River to Bazaruto ) [3] [4] [125] Southern mullet, Chelon richardsonii (Smith, 1846), recorded as syn. Liza richardsonii (Smith, 1846) (Kunene River to St. Lucia Estuary ) [3] [4] [126] Striped mullet, Chelon tricuspidens (Smith, 1935), recorded as syn. Liza tricuspidens (Smith, 1935) (Mossel Bay to northern Kosi estuary ) [3] [4] [127] Bluetail mullet, Crenimugil buchanani (Bleeker, 1853), recorded as syn. Valamugil buchanani (Bleeker, 1854) (Knysna to Indo-West Pacific) [3] [4] [128] Bluespot mullet, Crenimugil seheli (Fabricius, 1775), recorded as syn. Valamugil seheli (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific south to Transkei) [3] [129] Squaretail mullet, Ellochelon vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825), recorded as syn. Liza vaigiensis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1825) (Indo-West Pacific, south to Durban ) [3] [130] Flathead mullet Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 (All warm and temperate seas, estuaries and rivers) [3] [4] Longarm mullet, Osteomugil cunnesius (Valenciennes, 1836), recorded as syn. Valamugil cunnesius (Valenciennes, 1836) (Indo-West Pacific, occasionally reaches Natal) [3] [131] Diamond mullet , Planiliza alata (Steindachner, 1892), recorded as syn. Liza alata (Steindachner, 1892), (Indo-West Pacific to Algoa Bay ) [3] [132] Large-scale mullet, Planiliza macrolepis (Smith, 1846), recorded as syn. Liza macrolepis (Smith, 1846) (Indo-West Pacific to Port Alfred ) [3] St. Lucia mullet, giantscale mullet, otomebora mullet , Planiliza melinoptera (Valenciennes, 1836) recorded as syn. Liza luciae (Penrith & Penrith, 1967), and as syn. Liza melinoptera (Valenciennes, 1836) (Northern Transkei to southern Mozambique, Indo-West Pacific,) [3] [133] [134] Freshwater mullet, Pseudomyxus capensis (Valenciennes, 1836), recorded as syn. Myxus capensis (Valenciennes, 1836) (Knysna to KwaZulu-Natal) [3] [4] [135] Family: Mullidae – Goatfishes
Yellowstripe goatfish , Mulloidichthys flavolineatus (Lacepède, 1801) (Red Sea to Knysna ) [3] (syn. Mulloides flavolineatus Lacepède, 1801) Flame goatfish or yellowfin goatfish , Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (Valenciennes, 1831) (Northern KwaZulu-Natal to Indo-West Pacific) [3] [4] (syn. Mulloides vanicolensis ) Dash-dot goatfish, dash-and-dot goatfish , Parupeneus barberinus (Lacepède, 1801) (Indo-West Pacific south to Mossel Bay ) [3] Goldsaddle goatfish Parupeneus cyclostomus (Lacepède, 1801) (Red Sea to Durban ) [3] Redspot goatfish, Parupeneus heptacanthus (Lacepède, 1802), recorded as syn. Parupeneus cinnabarinus (Cuvier, 1829) (Red Sea south to Transkei) [3] [136] Indian goatfish Parupeneus indicus Shaw, 1803 (Indo-West Pacific to Port Alfred ) [3] Band dot goatfish Parupeneus macronemus (Lacepède, 1801) (Red Sea to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Blacksaddle goatfish Parupeneus rubescens (Lacepède, 1801) (Cape Agulhas to Mozambique) [3] [4] Two-saddle goatfish, Parupeneus trifasciatus (Lacepède, 1801), recorded as syn. Parupeneus bifasciatus (Lacepède, 1801) (Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [137] Blackstriped goatfish Upeneus tragula Richardson, 1846 (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Yellowbanded goatfish Upeneus vittatus (Forsskål, 1775) (Red Sea to East London ) [3] Family: Myctophidae – Lanternfishes
Benthosema fibulatum (Gilbert and Cramer, 1897) (Indian Ocean (18°N - 20°S), to 42°S in Agulhas current) [3] Benthosema suborbitale (Gilbert, 1913) (tropical distribution in 3 major oceans, extensions to 50°S and 50°N in western boundary currents) [3] Bolinichthys indicus (Nafpaktitis and Nafpaktitis, 1969) (Indian Ocean (20° - 45°S); Atlantic (20° - 50°N and 20° - 40°S)) [3] Stubby lanternfish, Bolinichthys supralateralis (Parr, 1928) (off Cape Peninsula and in Agulgas current; Atlantic (40°N - 02°S and 32° to 40°S); Indian Ocean (21° - 30°S); west coast of Australia and near Hawaii) [3] Roundnose lanternfish, Centrobranchus nigroocellatus (Günther, 1873) (Atlantic (40°N - 36°S); Indian Ocean (08° - 34°S) and off Chile and New Zealand) [3] Warming's lantern fish , Ceratoscopelus warmingii (Lütken, 1892) (Atlantic(42°N - 40°S); Indian Ocean (20°N - 45°S);tropical/subtropical Pacific) [3] Bright lanternfish, Ctenoscopelus phengodes (Lütken, 1892), recorded as syn. Myctophum phengodes (Lütken, 1892) (Off all South African coasts) [3] [138] Dasyscopelus asper , (Richardson, 1845), recorded as syn. Myctophum asperum Richardson, 1845, (off east coast and in Agulhas water pockets off west coast.) [3] [139] Dasyscopelus obtusirostris (Tåning, 1928), recorded as syn. Myctophum obtusirostre Tåning , 1928 (In Agulhas current and off west coast in pockets of Agulhas water) [3] [140] Wisner's lanternfish, Dasyscopelus selenops (Tåning, 1928), recorded as syn. Myctophum selenops Tåning , 1928 (West of Cape Peninsula in Agulhas water pockets) [3] [141] Spiny lanternfish, Dasyscopelus spinosus (Steindachner, 1867), recorded as syn. Myctophum spinosum (Steindachner, 1867) (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets) [3] [142] Short-headed lantern fish, Diaphus brachycephalus Tåning , 1928 (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets; broadly tropical in Atlantic and Indo-Pacific) [3] Crown lanternfish. Diaphus diadematus Tåning , 1928 (in Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets and warmed upwelled central water northwards to 18°S; Indian Ocean (02°N - 38°S, and in Mozambique channel, but absent in central sector) [3] Dumeril's lanternfish, Diaphus dumerilii (Bleeker, 1856) (off west coast as pseudoceanic pelagic species southward to 23°S) [3] Headlight fish , Diaphus effulgens (Goode and Bean, 1896) (off all SA coasts) [3] Garman's lanternfish, Diaphus garmani (Gilbert, 1906)(east coast continental shelf/slope southwards to about 26°S) [3] Hudson's lanternfish, Diaphus hudsoni (Zubrigg and Scott, 1976) (From 18°S off west coast to 27°S off east coast) [3] Jensen's lanternfish, Diaphus jenseni Tåning , 1932 (one record at 33°49'S, 27°48'E; Indo-Pacific) [3] Spotlight lanternfish, Diaphus lucidus (Goode and Bean, 1896) (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets. Atlantic(40°N - 38°S, but absent in Benguela upwelling region); also Indo-Pacific) [3] Luetken's lanternfish, Diaphus luetkeni (Brauer, 1904) (In Agulhas current to 37°S. Atlantic (42°N - 11°S) also Indo-Pacific) [3] Mead's lanternfish, Diaphus meadi Nafpaktitis, 1978 (In upwelled waters off west coast northwards to at least 21°S. Circumglobal convergence species (32° - 41°S)) [3] Spothead lantern fish , Diaphus metopoclampus Cocco, 1829 South of 29°S off west coast and 27°S off east coast. Mediterranean, Atlantic, Indo-West Pacific) [3] Soft lanternfish, Diaphus mollis Tåning , 1928 (off all SA coasts, Broadly tropical distribution in all major oceans) [3] Diaphus nielseni Nafpaktitis, 1978 (taken once from Agulhas current (30°17'S, 31°25'E); off east coast of Madagascar, in Mozambique channel, and from southeast Asian seas to southern Japan) [3] Ostenfeld's lanternfish, Diaphus ostenfeldi Tåning , 1932 (off west coast northwards to about 23°S; Circumglobal convergence species (35° - 45°S)) [3] Parr's lanternfish, Diaphus parri Tåning , 1932 (in Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets, Indian Ocean (10°N - 12°S with extension to 25°S in Mozambique channel), southeast Asian seas and Pacific (tropical waters west of 95°W)) [3] Transparent lanternfish, Diaphus perspicillatus (Ogilby,1898) (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets. Broadly tropical species in Atlantic (45°N - 36°S, but absent in southeastern sector); Indo-Pacific) [3] Problematic lanternfish, Diaphus problematicus Parr, 1928 (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets. Atlantic(40°N - 39°S but absent south of 13°S in eastern sector); tropical Indo-Pacific with extensions into higher latitudes in western boundary currents) [3] Diaphus richardsoni Tåning , 1932 (Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets) [3] Horned lanternfish, Diaphus splendidus (Brauer, 1904) (in Agulhas current southward to 31°S; Atlantic (40°N to 28°S, but absent south of 10°S in eastern sector); Indo-Pacific) [3] Slopewater lanternfish, Diaphus taaningi Norman, 1930 (over west coast continental shelf/slope southward to 24°S. Amphitropical species in Atlantic(western sector; tropical waters to 42°N; eastern sector: southward from Mauretanian upwelling region to South African region) [3] Watases lanternfish, Diaphus watasei Jordan and Starks, 1904 (Over east coast continental shelf/slope southwards to about 30°S) [3] Longfin lanternfish , Diogenichthys atlanticus (Tåning , 1928) (Atlantic (50°N - 48°S), Indian Ocean (22° - 45°S) and Pacific (35°N - 35°S, but absent in equatorial waters west of 130°W and near Hawaii) [3] Diogenichthys panurgus Bolin, 1946 (In Agulhas current to about 38°S and in Indian Ocean (19°N - 05°S)) [3] Risso's lanternfish, Electrona risso (Cocco, 1829) (off east and west coasts of South Africa. Widespread in Atlantic (55°N - 40°S), Mediterranean, Indian Ocean (0° - 40°S), Tasman sea and Cook Strait, and eastern Pacific (42°N - 20°S)) [3] Barne's lanternfish, Gonichthys barnesi Whitley, 1943 (Off east and west coasts, south of 30°S. Convergence species in all 3 oceans (30° - 40°S)) [3] Gymnoscopelus braueri (Lönnberg, 1905) (Circumglobal between Subtropical convergence and Antarctica) [3] Southern blacktip lanternfish, Gymnoscopelus piabilis (Whitley, 1931) (off west coast in Benguela upwelling region) [3] Hansen's lanternfish, Hygophum hanseni (Tåning, 1932) (From 30°S on west coast to 33°S on east coast. Convergence species (30° to 43°S) in all 3 oceans) [3] Bermuda lanternfish, Hygophum hygomii (Lütken, 1892) (West of Cape Peninsula and off east coast (25° - 37°S)) [3] Hygophum proximum Bekker, 1965) (South to about 37°S in Agulhas current; Indian Ocean (25°N - 10°S)) [3] Luminous lanternfish, Lampadena luminosa (Garman, 1899) (In Agulhas current. In all 3 oceans (20°N - 20°S) with extensions into higher latitudes in western boundary currents) [3] Lampadena notialis Nafpaktitis and Paxton, 1968 (Off east coast and cape peninsula; convergence species in all 3 oceans) [3] Mirror lanternfish, Lampadena speculigera Goode and Bean, 1896 (Off west and southeast coasts. Atlantic (66° - 35°N and 35° - 45°S), Indian Ocean (30° to 45°S) and Pacific Ocean (30° - 45°S)) [3] Onderbaadjie, Hector's lanternfish , Lampanyctodes hectoris (Common in Benguela uprising region) [3] Lampanyctus achirus Andriashev, 1962 (Southern Benguela upwelling region, off south and east coasts, north to about 31°S) [3] Lampanyctus alatus Goode and Bean, 1896 (Off all South African coasts; Atlantic (46°N - 38°S), Indian Ocean (0° - 39°S) [3] Lampanyctus ater Tåning, 1928 (Off all South African coasts; Atlantic (58° - 17°N and 15° - 40°S) and Indian Ocean (12° - 44°S)) [3] Southern lanternfish , Lampanyctus australis Tåning , 1932 (Off all South African coasts; Circumglobal convergence species(33° - 43°S with northern extension to about 27°S in eastern boundary currents)) [3] Lampanyctus festivus Tåning , 1928 (off all South African coasts. Atlantic(53° - 18°N and 28° - 40°S with northern extension to 12°S in Benguela current and Indo-West Pacific.) [3] Lampanyctus intricarius Tåning , 1928 (In southern Benguela upwelling region. Atlantic (65° - 32°N and region of subtropical convergence) and Indo-Pacific (region of subtropical convergence, with northern extension to 18°S in eastern boundary currents) [3] Lampanyctus lepidolychnus Bekker, 1967 (off all South African coasts, circumglobal convergence species (23° - 48°S)) [3] Lampanyctus lineatus Tåning , 1928 (Taken once at 34°12'S, 16°35'E) [3] Lampanyctus macdonaldi (Goode and Bean, 1896) (West of Cape Peninsula, Circumglobal between subtropical convergence and Antarctic polar front) [3] Lampanyctus nobilis Tåning , 1928 (In agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets. Atlantic (40°N - 21°S), Indo-Pacific) [3] Lampanyctus pusillus (Johnson, 1890) (Off all South African coasts. Bisubtropical species in all major oceans) [3] Lampanyctus turneri (Fowler, 1934) (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets. Tropical and subtropical waters between south China sea and western Indian Ocean) [3] Lampichthys procerus (Brauer, 1904) (Off Cape Peninsula, circumglobal convergence species (32° - 48°S) with extensions into lower latitudes in eastern boundary currents) [3] Lobianchia dofleini (Zugmayer, 1911) (Off all South African coasts. Mediterranean, Atlantic (50°N - 40°S), Indian Ocean (23° - 38°S), Tasman sea and south Pacific(region of subtropical convergence)) [3] Cocco's lantern fish , Lobianchia gemellarii (Cocco, 1838) (off all South African coasts. Worldwide in tropical/subtropical waters.) [3] Flaccid lanternfish , Metelectrona ventralis (Bekker, 1063) (West of Cape Peninsula in Southern Benguela upwelling region; Curcumglobal subantarctic species (36°-51°S)) [3] Myctophum aurolaternatum Garman, 1899 (in Agulhas current south to about 31°S) [3] Myctophum nitidulum Garman, 1809 (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets) [3] Notolychnus valdiviae (Brauer, 1904) (off all South African coasts) [3] Notoscopelus caudispinosus (Johnson, 1863) (in Agulhas current south to 34°S. Broadly tropical in Atlantic (42°N - 37°S) and Indian oceans) [3] Notoscopelus resplendens (Richardson, 1845) (off all South African coasts) [3] Protomyctophum subparallelum Tåning , 1932 (off west coast at Vema seamount , Circumglobal in region of subtropical convergence with northern extension to 30°S in eastern boundary currents) [3] Protomyctophum normani Tåning, 1932 (once west of Slangkop lighthouse; Circumglobal convergence species (36° - 43°S)) [3] Scopelopsis multipunctatus Brauer, 1906 (off all South African coasts) [3] Symbolophorus barnardi (Tåning , 1932) (occurs off all South African coasts) [3] Symbolophorus boops (Richardson, 1845) (Southern Benguela upwelling region north to 25°S; circumglobal in and south of subtropical convergence) [3] Symbolophorus evermanni (Gilbert, 1905) (Agilhas current south to about 33°S; tropical Indo-Pacific) [3] Taaningichthys bathyphilus (Tåning , 1928) (off east coast (30° - 33°S); widespread in all three oceans) [3] Taaningichthys minimus (Tåning , 1928) (taken at 34°15'S, 16°00'E; Atlantic (40° - 20°N and 08° - 38°S), Indian Ocean (20° - 30°S); central and eastern North Pacific) [3] Triphoturus nigrescens (Brauer, 1904) (In Agulhas current south to about 40°S; Indian Ocean (08°N - 15°S) and Pacific Ocean (30°N - 30°S)) [3] Family: Neoscopelidae – Blackchins
Family: Aphyonidae – Aphyonids
Aphyonus brevidorsalis Nielsen, 1969 (1 specimen 34°09'S, 30°45'E) [3] Gelatinous blindfish, Aphyonus gelatinosus Günther, 1878 (1 specimen off Natal, all oceans) [3] ?Barathronus bicolor Goode and Bean, 1886 (off Cape Point, specimen lost, identification dubious) [3] Spotted gelatinous cusk, Barathronus maculatus Shcherbachev, 1976 (off Durban, northern Madagascar and Japan) [3] Family: Bythitidae – Bythitids or Brotulas
Family: Carapidae – Pearlfishes
Star pearlfish , Carapus mourlani (Petit, 1934) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Giant pearlfish, pinhead pearlfish , Encheliophis boraborensis (Kaup 1856) (Indo-West Pacific to Natal) [3] Speckled pearlfish Encheliophis gracilis (Bleeker, 1856) (Indo-West Pacific to Natal) [3] Eel pearlfish Eurypleuron owasianum (Matsubara, 1953) (Japan, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, southeastern Pacific, Mozambique and South Africa) [3] Pearlfish, Onuxodon fowleri (Smith, 1955) (Indo-West Pacific from Durban to Hawaii) [3] Oyster pearlfish, Onuxodon parvibrachium (Fowler, 1927) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban) [3] Dogtooth pearlfish, Pyramodon punctatus (Regan, 1914) (New Zealand, Australia and South Africa (one adult from off East London)) [3] Family: Ophidiidae – Cuskeels
Bassogigas gillii Goode and Bean, 1896 (1 specimen off Agulhas Bank) [3] Robust assfish, Bassozetus robustus Smith and Radcliffe, 1913 (One specimen off Natal) [3] Goatsbeard brotula, Brotula multibarbata Temminck and Schlegel, 1846 (Red Sea to Port Alfred and east to central Pacific) [3] Brotulataenia crassa Parr, 1934 (Tropical Atlantic off South Africa and southwest Indian Ocean) [3] Dicrolene multifilis (Alcock, 1889) (Off Table Bay and east coast of South Africa) [3] Needletooth cusk , Epetriodus freddyi Cohen and Nielsen, 1978 (between about 18° and 35°S in western Indian Ocean) Kingklip , Genypterus capensis (Smith, 1847) (Walvis Bay to Algoa Bay) [3] [4] Holcomycteronus aequatoris (Smith and Radcliffe, 1913) (3 specimens from off east coast) [3] False kingklip Hoplobrotula gnathopus Regan, 1921 (Natal) [3] Lamprogrammus niger Alcock, 1891 (off Natal, probably circumtropical) [3] Luciobrotula bartschi (Smith and Radcliffe, 1913) (one specimen trawled off Natal; known from Hawaii, Philippines and western Indian Ocean)) [3] Monomitopus nigripinnis (Alcock, 1889) (Eleven specimens from off Natal; several localities in Indian Ocean) [3] Black-edged cuskeel Neobythites analis Barnard, 1927 (Algoa Bay to Natal coast) [3] Ophidion smithi (Fowler, 1934) (Red Sea to Natal) [3] Penopus microphthalmus (Vaillant, 1888) (one specimen off the Cape) [3] Slender cusk eel, Porogadus miles Goode and bean, 1886 (One specimen off the Cape; relatively common both sides of the Atlantic; also recorded from Indian Ocean) [3] Barbed brotula, Selachophidium guentheri Gilchrist, 1903 (Angola to Mozambique) [3] Pudgy cusk-eel, Spectrunculus grandis (Günther, 1877) (a few specimens off west coast of South Africa; also known from Japan) Family: Parabrotulidae – False brotulas
Family: Ambassidae – Glassies
Family: Opistognathidae – Jawfishes
Family: Plesiopidae – Longfins Subfamily: Acanthoclininae – Spiny basslets
Subfamily: Plesiopinae
Family: Pomacentridae – Damselfishes
Fourbar damsel Abudefduf natalensis Hensley & Randall, 1983 (Transkei to Kosi Bay ) [3] [4] Dusky damsel Abudefduf notatus (Day, 1869) (Indo-West Pacific south to Kosi Bay ) [3] Sevenbar damsel Abudefduf septemfasciatus (Cuvier, 1830) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Stripetail damsel, scissortail sergeant Abudefduf sexfasciatus (Lacepède, 1801) [4] Spot damsel Abudefduf sordidus (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-Pacific south to Port Alfred ) [3] [4] False-eye damsel Abudefduf sparoides (Cuvier, 1830) (Kenya to Transkei) [3] Sergeant major, Indo-Pacific sergeant , Abudefduf vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) (Indo-West Pacific south to Port Alfred ) [3] [4] Nosestripe clownfish Amphiprion akallopisos Bleeker, 1853 (Tropical Indian Ocean south to Aliwal Shoal ) [3] [4] Twobar clownfish, Allard's clownfish , Amphiprion allardi Klausewitz, 1970 (East Africa south to Durban ) [3] [4] Brown chromis, Azurina lepidolepis (Bleeker, 1877), recorded as syn. Chromis lepidolepis Bleeker, 1877 (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [145] Bluespotted chromis Chromis dasygenys (Fowler, 1935) (Delagoa Bay to Durban ) [3] Doublebar chromis Chromis opercularis (Günther, 1867) (Tropical Indian Ocean south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Darkbar chromis Chromis weberi Fowler and Bean, 1928 (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Aliwal Shoal ) [3] Footballer Chrysiptera annulata (Peters, 1855) (Red Sea to Durban ) [3] Blue damsel Chrysiptera glauca (Cuvier, 1830) ((Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Onespot damsel Chrysiptera unimaculata (Cuvier, 1830) (Indian Ocean south to Transkei) [3] Zebra humbug, whitetail dascyllus , Dascyllus aruanus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Two-bar humbug Dascyllus carneus Fischer, 1885 (Tropical Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] Domino, threespot dascyllus , Dascyllus trimaculatus (Rüppell, 1829) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Great Fish Point )) [3] [4] Redwing coral damsel, fusilier damselfish , Lepidozygus tapeinosoma (Bleeker, 1856) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Crescent damsel Neopomacentrus cyanomos (Bleeker, 1856) (Tropical Indian Ocean south to Kosi Bay ) [3] Narrowbar damsel Plectroglyphidodon dickii (Liénard, 1839) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Dark damsel, Plectroglyphidodon fasciolatus (Ogilby, 1889), recorded as syn. Stegastes fasciolatus (Ogilby, 1889) (Kenya to Durban ) [3] [146] Stop-start damsel Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis (Vaillant and Sauvage, 1875) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Widebar damsel Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus Fowler and Ball, 1924 (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Sash damsel Plectroglyphidodon leucozonus (Bleeker, 1859) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific to Transkei) [3] [4] Phoenix damsel Plectroglyphidodon phoenixensis (Schultz, 1943) (Scattered localities in tropical Indo-West Pacific; Sodwana Bay ) [3] Blue Pete Pomacentrus caeruleus Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 (Western Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] [4] Sapphire damsel Pomacentrus pavo (Bloch, 1787) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Yellowtail damsel Pomacentrus trichrourus (Günther, 1867) (Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Chocolate dip, Pycnochromis dimidiatus (Klunzinger, 1871), recorded as syn. Chromis dimidiata (Klunzinger, 1871) (Tropical Indo-Pacific to Durban ) [3] [4] [147] Blacktail chromis, Pycnochromis nigrurus (Smith, 1960), recorded at syn. Chromis nigrura (Smith, 1960) (Tropical western Indian Ocean south to Transkei) [3] [148] Jewel damsel, Stegastes lacrymatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825), recorded as syn. Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay ) [3] [149] Family: Pseudochromidae – Dottybacks
Subfamily: Congrogadinae – Snakelets
Subfamily: Pseudochrominae
Subfamily: Pseudoplesiopinae
6 suborders and 20 families are represented:
Family: Achiropsettidae
Neoachiropsetta milfordi (Penrith, 1965) (off Cape Town, Argentina, Falkland Islands and New Zealand) [3] (syn. Mancopsetta milfordi Penrith, 1965)Family: Bothidae – Lefteye flounders
Cape flounder Arnoglossus capensis Boulenger, 1898 (Angola to Natal) [3] East coast flounder Arnoglossus dalgleishi (von Bonde, 1922) (Natal, Zanzibar, Mombasa and northern Indian Ocean) [3] Tropical flounder, peacock flounder , Bothus mancus (Broussonet, 1782) (Durban to Hawaii and Easter Island) [3] [4] Disc flounder Bothus myriaster (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) (Definitely known from Inhambane , juveniles and larvae possibly occur south to Cape St. Blaize . Southeast Africa to Taiwan and Japan) [3] Leopard flounder , Bothus pantherinus (Rüppell, 1830) (Confirmed records from Port Alfred northward, juveniles possibly south to Cape St. Blaize . Indo-West Pacific from South Africa to Hawaii) [3] Pelican flounder Chascanopsetta lugubris Alcock, 1894 (Natal to Delagoa Bay , Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Oceans) [3] Broadbrow flounder Crossorhombus valderostratus (Alcock, 1890) (Durban to St. Lucia Bay , possibly reaches East London ) [3] Warthog flounder Engyprosopon grandisquama (Temminck & Schlegel, 1848) (Indo-Pacific, Durban to Japan) [3] Natal flounder Engyprosopon natalense (Regan, 1920) (Known only from off Amatikulu River , Natal) [3] Khaki flounder Laeops natalensis Norman, 1931 (Known only from Natal) [3] Blackspotted flounder Laeops nigromaculatus von Bonde, 1922 (Natal, Delagoa Bay and Japan) [3] Longarm flounder Laeops pectoralis (von Bonde, 1922) (Natal, Delagoa Bay and Mombasa) [3] Crosseyed flounder Neolaeops microphthalmus (von Bonde, 1922) (One specimen from Natal, also known from Japan, Taiwan and Indo-Australian Archipelago) [3] Psettina brevirictis (Alcock, 1890) (Record from South Africa based on juvenile collected off Port St. Johns ) Tosarhombus smithi (Nielsen, 1964), recorded as syn. Engyprosopon smithi Nielsen, 1964 (Known only from 3 specimens from off Durban and Kenya) [3] [150] Family: Citharidae – Largescale flounders
Family: Paralichthyidae
Family: Pleuronectidae – Righteye flounders
Family: Cynoglossidae – Tonguefishes
Natal tonguefish Cynoglossus acaudatus Gilchrist, 1906 (Natal to Somalia) [3] Fourline tonguefish Cynoglossus attenuatus Gilhrist, 1904 (Durban to Delagoa Bay ) [3] Sand tonguefish Cynoglossus capensis (Kaup, 1858)(Kunene River (Namibia) to Port Elizabeth ) [4] (to Natal) [3] Durban tonguefish Cynoglossus durbanensis Regan, 1921 (Natal to Kenya) [3] Ripplefin tonguefish Cynoglossus gilchristi Ogilby, 1910 (Natal and Delagoa Bay ) [3] Roughscale tonguefish Cynoglossus lida (Bleeker, 1851) (Philippines to Mozambique, south to Durban ) [3] Threeline tonguefish Cynoglossus marleyi Regan, 1921 (Durban to Delagoa Bay ) [3] Redspotted tonguefish Cynoglossus zanzibarensis Norman, 1939 (Saldanha Bay to Kenya) [3] [4] Fringelip tonguefish Paraplagusia bilineata (Bloch, 1787) (Tropical Indo-Pacific: East coast of Africa south to Durban ) [3] Symphurus ocellatus von Bonde, 1922 (Durban to Mozambique) [3] Symphurus variegatus (Gilchrist, 1903) (Known only off East London )Family: Soleidae – Soles
Unicorn sole Aesopia cornuta Kaup, 1858 (Natal to Mozambique) [3] Dwarf sole, Aseraggodes xenicus (Matsubara & Ochiai, 1963), recorded as syn. Parachirus xenicus Matsubara & Ochiai, 1963 (Sodwana Bay ) [3] [151] West coast sole Austroglossus microlepis (Bleeker, 1863)(Cape to KwaZulu-Natal) [4] (Northern Namibia to False Bay ) [3] East coast sole Austroglossus pectoralis (Kaup, 1858) (Cape Point to Durban ) [3] [4] Lemon sole, Barnardichthys fulvomarginata (Gilchrist, 1904), recorded as syn. Solea fulvomarginata Gilchrist, 1904 (False Bay to Transkei) [3] [4] [152] Shallow-water sole, Dagetichthys marginatus (Boulenger, 1900), recorded as syn. Synaptura marginata Boulenger, 1900 (Knysna to Delagoa Bay ) [3] [153] Cape sole Heteromycteris capensis Kaup, 1858 (Walvis Bay to Maputo ) [3] [4] Foureye sole, Microchirus ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1758), recorded as syn. Monochirus ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Natal) [3] [154] Speckled sole Pardachirus marmoratus (Lacepède, 1802) (Red Sea and western Indian Ocean from Sri Lanka and Persian Gulf to Durban ) [3] Persian carpet sole Pardachirus morrowi (Chabanaud, 1954) (Kenya to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Blackhand sole , Pegusa nasuta (Pallas, 1814), recorded as syn. Solea bleekeri Boulenger, 1898 (Cape Columbine to Maputo ) [4] (False Bay to Maputo ) [3] [155] Lace sole Synapturichthys kleinii (Risso, 1833) (Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean to South Africa and round south coast to Durban ) [3] Zebra sole Zebrias regani (Gilchrist, 1906) (Known only from Natal) [3] Family: Ariommatidae
Family: Centrolophidae – Ruffs
Black ruff Centrolophus niger (Gmelin, 1789) (Temperate waters of Australia, New Zealand, South America and South Africa, also North Atlantic and Mediterranean) [3] Antarctic butterfish Hyperoglyphe antarctica (Carmichael, 1818) (Temperate waters; islands of south Atlantic and southern Indian oceans; New Zealand, southern Australia and South Africa) [3] New Zealand ruffe , Schedophilus huttoni (Waite, 1910) (Circumglobal in southern ocean, taken off Cape Town , common off Namibia) [3] Black butterfish or Peregrine driftfish, Schedophilus velaini (Sauvage, 1879) (Gulf of Guinea, to South Africa) [3] (syn. Hyperoglypha moselii (Cunningham, 1910)) Flabby driftfish, Tasmanian ruffe , Tubbia tasmanica Whitley, 1943 (Temperate waters of Southern Ocean; New Zealand, Tasmania and South Africa off Natal) [3] Family: Chiasmodontidae – Swallowers
Family: Gempylidae – Snake mackerels
Snake mackerel , Gempylus serpens Cuvier, 1829 (Worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters, sometimes in temperate latitudes) [3] Escolar , Lepidocybium flavobrunneum (Smith, 1849) (Tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans) [3] Sackfish Neoepinnula orientalis (Gilchrist & von Bonde, 1924) (All oceans near edge of continental shelf and islands) [3] Oilfish , Ruvettus pretiosus Cocco, 1879 (Tropical and temperate parts of all oceans) [3] Snoek Thyrsites atun (Euphrasen, 1791) (Namibia to Port Elizabeth ) [3] [4] Black snoek, black snake mackerel , Thyrsitoides marleyi Fowler, 1929 (Indo-West Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Family: Nomeidae – Driftfishes
Black fathead Cubiceps baxteri McCulloch, 1923 (Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans) [3] Blue fathead , Cubiceps caeruleus Regan, 1914 (Southern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans) [3] Cape fathead Cubiceps capensis (Smith, 1845) (Probably circumglobal in southern hemisphere) [3] Longfin fathead Cubiceps pauciradiatus Günther, 1872 (Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans) [3] Shadow driftfish, Cubiceps whiteleggii (Waite, 1894), recorded as syn. Psenes whiteleggi Waite, 1894 (Indian Ocean and Australia) [3] [156] Bluebottle fish, Man-of-war fish , Nomeus gronovii Gmelin, 1789 (Circumglobal in warm waters) [3] Banded driftfish Psenes arafurensis Günther, 1889 (Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean) [3] Freckled driftfish Psenes cyanophrys Valenciennes, 1883 (Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans) [3] Silver driftfish Psenes maculatus Lütken, 1880 (Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans) [3] Blackrag, bluefin driftfish , Psenes pellucidus Lütken, 1880 (Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans) [3] Family: Pomatomidae – Elf
Family: Scombridae – Tunas, mackerels and bonitos
Subfamily: Gasterochismatinae
Subfamily: Scombrinae
Wahoo , Acanthocybium solandri (Cuvier, 1831) (Worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. From South Africa: Algoa Bay , off Durban , and Sodwana Bay . one record west of Cape Point ) [3] Slender tuna , Allothunnus fallai Serventy, 1948 (Worldwide between 20° and 50° S. From South Africa: Miller's Point and Rooikrans in False Bay ) [3] Bullet tuna , Auxis rochei Risso, 1810 (Cosmopolitan in warm waters. From South Africa: Hout Bay , Mossel Bay and Natal) Frigate tuna , Auxis thazard (Lacepède, 1800) [4] Eastern little tuna Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849) (Mossel Bay to Delagoa Bay ) [3] [4] Dogtooth tuna , Gymnosarda unicolor (Rüppell, 1836) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific. Recorded from off St. Lucia ) [3] Skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758) (False Bay , Algoa Bay to Delagoa Bay ) [3] [4] Indian mackerel , Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1816) (Durban to Red Sea) [3] [4] Striped bonito , Sarda orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844) (Cape St. Francis to Natal coast, Indo-Pacific) [3] Atlantic bonito , Sarda sarda (Bloch, 1793) (Angola to Mossel Bay , perhaps as far as Durban ) [3] Mackerel, chub mackerel , Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782 (Namibia to Maputo) [4] (Cape to Natal, cosmopolitan in warm waters) [3] King mackerel, narrow-barred Spanish mackerel , Scomberomorus commerson (Lacepède, 1800) (Indo-West Pacific to Mossel Bay. Once recorded from False Bay ) [3] [4] Queen mackerel, Kanadi kingfish , Scomberomorus plurilineatus Fourmanoir, 1966 (Tsitsikamma to Kenya) [3] [4] Albacore or Longfin tunny Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Off Western Cape, Cosmopolitan between 45°-50°N and 30°-40°S) [3] Yellowfin tuna , Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Angola to Natal) [3] Southern bluefin tuna , Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau, 1872) (Off Cape region in winter, probably throughout southern oceans south of 30°S) [3] Bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839) (Off Cape region, Worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters) [3] Bluefin tuna, Atlantic bluefin tuna , Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Agulhas Bank and False Bay ) [3] Family: Stromateidae
Family: Tetragonuridae – Squaretails
Family: Trichiuridae – Frostfishes
Aphanopus mikhailini Parin, 1983 (Walters shoal ) [3] Slender frostfish, Benthodesmus elongatus (Clarke, 1879), recorded as syn. Benthodesmus elongatus elongatus (Clarke, 1879) (New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, once found off Natal) [3] [157] Buttersnoek, silver scabbardfish , Lepidopus caudatus (Euphrasen, 1788) (Mediterranean, eastern Atlantic from Norway to South Africa, Australia and new Zealand) [3] Cutlass fish Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus, 1758 (Cosmopolitan in tropical and temperate waters) [3] Family: Gonostomatidae – Bristlemouths
Benttooth bristlemouth, Cyclothone acclinidens Garman, 1899 (off Cape Point; tropical/subtropical in all three major oceans) [3] Bristlemouth, Cyclothone alba Brauer, 1906 (off Saldanha; all three major oceans) [3] Veiled anglemouth , Cyclothone microdon (Günther, 1878) (inshore from Saldanha to Mossel Bay; All 3 major oceans) [3] Tan bristlemouth, Cyclothone pallida Brauer, 1902 (all three major oceans) [3] Slender bristlemouth, Cyclothone pseudopallida Mukhacheva, 1964 (Off Cape Agulhas; all three major oceans) [3] Rebain's portholefish, Diplophos rebainsi Krefft and Parin, 1972 (off south western Cape coast; Southern Atlantic and south-eastern Pacific Oceans) [3] Diplophos taenia Günther, 1873 (all three major oceans; all around SA coast) [3] Gonostoma atlanticum Norman, 1930 ( 25°26'S, 38°11'E and 39°01'S, 20°04'E; tropical/subtropical all oceans) [3] Gonostoma denudatum Rafinesque, 1810 (Temperate/subtropical Atlantic; off Southern Africa to ca. 37°S) [3] Margrethia obtusirostra Jespersen & Tåning, 1919 (off Cape Agulhas and 25°26'S, 38°11'E; all three major oceans) [3] Margrethia valentinae Parin, 1982 (off South Africa (c. 37°S, 20°;E -20°W; probably part of Circumglobal Subtropical Convergence fauna) [3] Sigmops bathyphilus (Vaillant, 1884), recorded as syn. Gonostoma bathyphilum (Vaillant, 1884) (off Cape Point; temperate/subtropical Atlantic and Pacific oceans) [3] [158] Elongated bristlemouth fish, Sigmops elongatus (Günther, 1878), recorded as syn. Gonostoma elongatum Günther, 1878 (off Saldanha; all three major oceans) [3] [159] Family: Phosichthyidae – Lightfishes
Family: Sternoptychidae – Hatchetfishes
Subfamily: Maurolicinae
Subfamily: Sternoptychinae
Family: Stomiidae
Subfamily: Astronesthinae – Snaggletooths
Astronesthes boulengeri Gilchrist, 1902 (southeast of Cape Point, Circumpolar between 30° and 40°S) [3] Astronesthes indicus Brauer, 1902 (Circumglobal in tropical waters, Taken between 33° and 35°S on Atlantic side) [3] Astronesthes martensii Klunzinger, 1871 (Indonesia to Red Sea and south to Durban) [3] Borostomias mononema (Regan and Trewavas, 1929) (mainly in tropical waters of Atlantic and Indian oceans, Reported from Atlantic side at about 28°S and from Indian Ocean to about 25°S) [3] Neonesthes capensis (Gilchrist and von Bonde, 1924) (off South Africa, Subtropical/temperate waters of all oceans) [3] Subfamily: Idiacanthinae – Sawtail-fishes
Subfamily: Malacosteinae – Loosejaws
Aristostomias polydactylus Regan and Trewavas, 1930 (Taken once on Atlantic side, once on Indian Ocean side of the area, occurs in all three major oceans) [3] Malacosteus niger Ayres, 1848 (Tropical and subtropical in all three major oceans) [3] Subfamily: Melanostomiinae – Scaleless dragonfishes
Bathophilus digitatus (Welsh, 1923) (single specimen from off Cape Town; North Atlantic, Indian and pacific oceans) [3] Bathophilus longipinnis (Pappenheim, 1912) (off Cape Town; occurs widely in all three major oceans) [3] Bathophilus nigerrimus Giglioli, 1884 (Off Cape Town and off Port Elizabeth to Mozambique channel) [3] Echiostoma barbatum Lowe, 1843 (Southeast of Algoa Bay and off Cape Town; widespread in tropical/subtropical waters of all oceans) [3] Eustomias bulbornatus Gibbs, 1960 (south and west of Cape of Good Hope; Tropical Indian and Pacific oceans) [3] Eustomias filifer (Gilchrist, 1906) (off Cape Point; tropical and subtropical Atlantic) [3] Eustomias grandibulbus Gibbs, Clarke and Gomon, 1983 (off Cape Town) [3] Eustomias lipochirus Regan and Trewavas, 1930 (2 specimens from south west of Cape of Good Hope; Tropical/subtropical Atlantic) [3] Eustomias schmidti Regan and Trewavas, 1930 (off Cape Town; occurs widely in all three major oceans) [3] Eustomias trewavasae Norman, 1930 (circumglobal between about 33° and 40°S) [3] Leptostomias gladiator (Zugmayer, 1911) (Tropical, subtropical and temperate Atlantic, also Indian and Pacific oceans) [3] Melanostomias bartonbeani Parr, 1927 (once off Cape Columbine; widespread in Atlantic and southern Indian oceans) [3] Melanostomias niger Gilchrist and von Bonde, 1924 (widespread in Atlantic between 20° and 50°S) [3] Melanostomias valdiviae Brauer, 1902 (off Cape Town and northeast of Durban; all three major oceans) [3] Opostomias micripnus (Günther, 1878) (northwest of Cape Town; occurs across the Atlantic, Pacific and possibly Indian Ocean south of about 33°S) [3] (syn. Opostomias gibsonpacei Barnard, 1948) Pachystomias microdon (Günther, 1878) (off Western Cape coast; widespread in all three major oceans)(Günther, 1878) [3] Photonectes braueri (Zugmayer, 1913) (off Cape Town; Atlantic and western Indian Ocean) [3] Photonectes parvimanus Regan and Trewavas, 1930 (off west coast; north Atlantic and central Pacific) [3] Trigonolampa miriceps Regan and Trewavas, 1930 (off west coast; apparently circumglobal in Southern Ocean south of 30°S) [3] Subfamily: Stomiinae – Scaly dragonfishes
Family: Aulostomidae – Trumpetfishes
Family: Centriscidae – Snipefishes and shrimpfishes
Razorfish or shrimpfish Aeoliscus punctulatus (Bianconi , 1855) (Port Elizabeth to Kenya) [3] [4] Banded snipefish, banded bellowsfish , Centriscops humerosus (Richardson, 1846), recorded as syn. Centriscops obliquus Waite, 1911 (Cape Columbine to False Bay) [3] [162] Slender snipefish, longspine snipefish , Macroramphosus scolopax (Linnaeus, 1758) (Table Bay to Durban) [3] Round bellowsfish, crested bellowsfish , Notopogon lilliei Regan, 1914 (Single specimen off Natal) [3] Longsnout bellowsfish Notopogon macrosolen Barnard, 1925 (Northwest of Cape Town to Saldanha Bay) [3] Longspine bellowsfish Notopogon xenosoma Regan, 1914 (Algoa Bay to Natal) [3] Family: Fistulariidae – Flutemouths
Family: Solenostomidae – Ghost pipefishes
Family: Syngnathidae – Seahorses and pipefishes
Roughridge pipefish Cosmocampus banneri (Herald and Randall, 1972) (Two specimens from Sodwana Bay) [3] Narrowstripe pipefish Doryrhamphus bicarinatus Dawson, 1981 (Sodwana Bay) [3] Bluestripe pipefish, Doryrhamphus excisus Kaup, 1856, recorded as syn. Doryrhamphus excisus excisus Kaup, 1856 (Xora river mouth to Mozambique) [3] [163] Banded pipefish , Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus (Bleeker, 1853), recorded as syn. Doryrhamphus dactyliophorus (Bleeker, 1853) (one specimen at Aliwal shoal) [3] [164] Many-banded pipefish, Dunckerocampus multiannulatus (Regan, 1903, recorded as syn. Doryrhamphus multiannulatus (Regan, 1903), (one subadult taken at Sodwana bay) [3] [165] Dusky pipefish Halicampus dunckeri (Chabanaud, 1929) (One specimen taken in Sodwana bay) [3] Brown pipefish Halicampus mataafae (Jordan and Seale, 1906) (one specimen taken in Sodwana Bay) [3] Belly pipefish Hippichthys heptagonus Bleeker, 1849 (Durban, St Lucia and 'nHtunga lakes, Natal) [3] Bellybarred pipefish Hippichthys spicifer (Rüppell, 1838) (Durban and Xora river mouth) [3] Giraffe seahorse or Crowned seahorse Hippocampus camelopardalis Bianconi, 1854 (Durban to Inhambane) [3] [4] Knysna seahorse Hippocampus capensis Boulenger, 1900 (South coast estuaries: Knysna, Keurbooms, Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay) [3] [4] Thorny seahorse, spiny seahorse , Hippocampus histrix Kaup, 1853 (vicinity of Durban) [3] Yellow seahorse Hippocampus kuda Bleeker, 1852 (Mossel bay to Mozambique) [3] Longnose seahorse, flat-faced seahorse , Hippocampus trimaculatus Leach, 1814 (Morgan Bay near kei river mouth) [3] Crowned seahorse, New Holland seahorse , Hippocampus whitei Bleeker, 1855 (Natal and southern Mozambique) [3] Shortnose pipefish Micrognathus andersonii Bleeker, 1858 (Knysna to Xora river) [3] Short-tailed pipefish , Microphis brachyurus (Bleeker, 1853) (Durban and Sodwana estuary to Kenya) [3] Freshwater pipefish Microphis fluviatilis (Peters, 1852) (Coffee Bay and Mtata river) [3] Elegant pipefish Nannocampus elegans Smith, 1961 (Great Fish point to Inhaca, Mozambique) [3] Reef pipefish Nannocampus pictus (Duncker, 1915) (one specimen from Sodwana Bay) [3] Rock pipefish Phoxocampus belcheri (Kaup, 1856) (one specimen from Bizana coast (31.5°S), Transkei) [3] Alligator pipefish Syngnathoides biaculeatus (Bloch, 1785) (Knysna northwards; Northern Red sea to Japan, Guam and Samoa) [3] Longsnout pipefish Syngnathus temminckii Kaup, 1856 (Namibia to northern KwaZulu-Natal), [99] [166] River pipefish, estuarine pipefish , Syngnathus watermeyeri Smith, 1963 (Tidal areas of Kariega, Kasouga and Bushmans rivers) [3] Double-ended pipefish Trachyrhamphus bicoarctatus (Bleeker, 1857) (Durban northwards to Kenya) [3] Family: Balistidae – Triggerfishes
Starry triggerfish Abalistes stellatus (Anon. in Lacepède, 1798) (Red Sea to Mossel Bay ) [3] Orangestriped triggerfish, orange-lined triggerfish , Balistapus undulatus (Mungo Park, 1797) (Red Sea south to Natal) [3] Queen triggerfish, Balistes vetula Linnaeus, 1758 (Tropical Atlantic to southern Angola; recordef from"Cape of Good Hope by Günther. Doubtful records from Port Alfred and Durban ) [3] Clown triggerfish , Balistoides conspicillum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Rough triggerfish, Canthidermis maculata (Bloch, 1786) (Orange River mouth to Natal) [3] Indian triggerfish , Melichthys indicus Randall and Klausewitz, 1973 (Tropical Indian Ocean south to Sodwana Bay [3] Black triggerfish , Melichthys niger (Bloch, 1786), (Circumtropical, has been found at Durban ) [3] Pinktail triggerfish , Melichthys vidua (Solander, 1844), (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Redfang triggerfish, redtoothed triggerfish , Odonus niger (Rüppell, 1836), (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban and once to Port Alfred ) [3] [4] Yellowface triggerfish, Yellowmargin triggerfish , Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus (Rüppell, 1829) (Red Sea south to Natal) [3] Rippled triggerfish Pseudobalistes fuscus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), (Red Sea south to Durban ) [3] Blackbar triggerfish, lagoon triggerfish , Rhinecanthus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Indo-West Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Patchy triggerfish, reef triggerfish , Rhinecanthus rectangulus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), (Tropican Indo-West Pacific south to East London ) [3] Boomerang triggerfish, Sufflamen bursa (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Sodwana Bay )) [3] [4] Halfmoon triggerfish , Sufflamen chrysopterum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Bridle triggerfish, Masked triggerfish , Sufflamen fraenatum (Latrielle, 1804), (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Striped triggerfish, Xanthichthys lineopunctatus (Hollard, 1854), (Indo-West Pacific south to Port Alfred ) [3] Outrigger triggerfish, Xanthichthys caeruleolineatus Randall, Matsuura & Zama, 1978, recorded as syn. Xenobalistes punctatus Heemstra & Smith, 1983, (One specimen from west of Algoa Bay ) [3] [167] Family: Diodontidae – Burrfishes and porcupinefishes
Spotfin burrfish, Chilomycterus reticulatus (Linnaeus, 1758), (Only juveniles reported from Cape to Salt Vlei , worldwide in warm temperate waters) [3] Birdbeak burrfish, Cyclichthys orbicularis (Bloch, 1785) (Knysna to South China Sea, Philippines and Australia) [3] [4] Yellow-spotted burrfish, spotbase burrfish , Cyclichthys spilostylus (Leis & Randall, 1982), (Cape to Port Alfred and northwards to South China Sea, Philippines and Australia) [3] Pelagic porcupinefish Diodon eydouxii Brisout de Barneville, 1846 (Known from Algoa Bay . pelagic, circumtropical) [3] Balloon porcupinefish, long-spine porcupinefish , Diodon holocanthus Linnaeus, 1758, (Cape to Knysna and northward. Circumtropical) [3] Porcupinefish, spot-fin porcupinefish , Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758, (Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park to Umtata river , Circumtropical) [3] Shortspine porcupinefish, black-blotched porcupinefish , Diodon liturosus Shaw, 1804, (Port Elizabeth to Japan, French Polynesia and Australia) [3] [4] Fourbar porcupinefish, Lophodiodon calori (Bianconi, 1855), (Continental shelf from the Cape to South China Sea and Australia) [3] Family: Molidae – Ocean sunfishes
Sharptail sunfish, sharptail mola , Masturus lanceolatus (Lienard, 1840), (Warm temperate waters of all oceans; recorded from the Cape to East London ) [3] Ocean sunfish , Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758), (All oceans but not polar seas) [3] Southern sunfish, giant sunfish , Mola alexandrini (Ranzani, 1839), recorded as syn. Mola ramsayi (Giglioli, 1883), (Known only from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Collected from near East London to Port St. Johns ) [3] [168] Trunkfish, slender sunfish , Ranzania laevis (Pennant, 1776), (Cape to Transkei; All oceans) [3] Family: Monacanthidae – Filefishes
Unicorn leatherjacket , Aluterus monoceros Linnaeus, 1758, (Saldanha Bay to Beira ) [3] Scribbled leatherjacket, Aluterus scriptus (Osbeck, 1765), (Worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas, south to Knysna ) [3] White-spotted filefish, Cantherhines dumerilii (Hollard, 1854), (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Spectacled filefish, Cantherhines fronticinctus (Günther, 1867), (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Honeycomb filefish, Cantherhines pardalis (Rüppell, 1837), (Tropical/subtropical Indo-West Pacific, south to Mossel Bay ) [3] Blacksaddle mimic, blacksaddle filefish , Paraluteres prionurus (Bleeker, 1851), (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Aliwal Shoal , Natal) [3] Wedgetail filefish, Paramonacanthus frenatus (Peters, 1855), recorded as syn. Paramonacanthus barnardi Fraser-Brunner, 1941, (East coast of Africa south to Durban ) [3] [169] Blackstriped filefish, Paramonacanthus pusillus (Rüppell, 1829), recorded as syn. Paramonacanthus cingalensis (Fraser-Brunner, 1941), (Tropical Indian Ocean south to Umgazi River , Transkei) [3] [170] Redtail filefish, Pervagor janthinosoma (Bleeker, 1854), (Indo-West Pacific, juveniles reach Algoa Bay ) [3] Rhino leatherjacket, Pseudalutarius nasicornis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1850), (Tropical/subtropical Indo-West Pacific; has been found at Port Alfred , East London and Bazaruto ) [3] Porky, Stephanolepis aurata (Castelnau, 1861), (Known only from Knysna to Zanzibar) [4] Sandy filefish, Thamnaconus arenaceus (Barnard, 1927), (Known from only 3 specimens, 1 possibly from Natal, 2 from Madagascar) [3] Modest filefish, Thamnaconus modestoides (Barnard, 1927), (Indian Ocean south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Family: Ostraciidae – Boxfishes
Subfamily: Aracaninae
Chubby basketfish, Anoplocapros inermis (Fraser-Brunner, 1935), recorded as syn. Anoplocapros robustus (Fraser-Brunner, 1941) and syn. Strophiurichthys robustus Fraser-Brunner, 1941, (one specimen from Algoa Bay ) [3] [171] Subfamily: Ostraciinae
Longhorn cowfish , Lactoria cornuta (Linnaeus, 1758), (Indo-West Pacific to Mossel Bay ) [3] [4] Spiny cowfish, Lactoria diaphana (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Indo-West Pacific south to the Cape) [3] [4] Backspine cowfish, thornback cowfish , Lactoria fornasini (Bianconi, 1846) (Indo-West pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Boxy, yellow boxfish , Ostracion cubicum Linnaeus, 1758, (Indo-West Pacific south to Knysna ) [3] [4] Whitespotted boxfish, spotted boxfish Ostracion meleagris Shaw, 1796, (Indo-Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Triangular boxfish, Tetrosomus concatenatus (Bloch, 1786), (From the Cape eastwards through Indo-West Pacific) [3] Hunchback boxfish, Tetrosomus gibbosus (Linnaeus, 1758), (Red Sea south to Durban ) [3] Family: Tetraodontidae – Blaasops or Puffers
Evileye blaasop, Amblyrhynchotes honckenii (Bloch, 1785), (Cape Point to Mozambique. Tropical Indo-West Pacific from South Africa to China) [3] [4] Whitespotted blaasop, white-spotted puffer , Arothron hispidus Linnaeus, 1758, (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Knysna ) [3] Blackedged blaasop, Arothron immaculatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Indo-West Pacific south to Knysna ) [3] Bellystriped blaasop , Arothron inconditus (Smith, 1958) (Knysna to East London ) [3] Map blaasop, map puffer , Arothron mappa (Lesson, 1827) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Guineafowl blaasop, Arothron meleagris (Anon. 1798?), (Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [172] Blackspotted blaasop, blackspotted puffer Arothron nigropunctatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), (Indo-West Pacific south to Algoa Bay [3] Mossel Bay [4] ) Star blaasop, Arothron stellatus (Anonymous, 1798), recorded as Arothron stellatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), (Indo-West Pacific, occasionally reaches Knysna ) [3] [173] Spotted toby, Canthigaster amboinensis (Bleeker, 1864) (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Durban ) [3] [4] Exquisite toby, Canthigaster bennetti (Bleeker, 1854), (Tropical Indo-West Pacific south to Port Alfred ) [3] Saddle toby, Canthigaster coronata (Vaillant & Sauvage, 1875), (Red Sea to Sodwana Bay ) [3] Honeycomb toby, Canthigaster janthinoptera (Bleeker, 1855), (Indo-West Pacific south to Transkei) [3] Doubleline toby, Canthigaster rivulata (Schlegel, 1850), (Indo-West Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Bicoloured toby, Canthigaster smithae Allen & Randall, 1977, (Southwestern Indian Ocean south to Durban ) [3] False-eye toby Canthigaster solandri (Richardson, 1844) (Indo-West Pacific south to Port Elizabeth ) [3] Model toby, Valentin's sharpnose puffer , Canthigaster valentini (Bleeker, 1853), (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban ) [3] Bluespotted blaasop, Chelonodontops laticeps (Smith, 1948), recorded as syn. Chelonodon laticeps Smith, 1948, (6°S to Xora River mouth) [3] [174] Blaasop beauty, Chelonodontops pleurospilus (Regan, 1919), recorded as syn. Chelonodon pleurospilus Regan, 1919, (Xora River mouth to Durban ) [3] [175] Blackback blaasop, Lagocephalus guentheri Miranda Ribeiro, 1915, (off Tugela River to Algoa Bay ) [3] Smooth blaasop, Lagocephalus inermis (Schlegel, 1850), (Indo-Pacific south to Algoa Bay ) [3] Oceanic blaasop, oceanic puffer , Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), (Circumglobal in warm and temperate seas, Walvis Bay to Beira ) [3] Moontail blaasop, lunartail puffer , Lagocephalus lunaris (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), (Indo-West Pacific south to Knysna ) [3] Silverstripe blaasop, Lagocephalus sceleratus (Forster, 1788), (Indo-West Pacific, occasional specimens occur between the Cape and Natal) [3] Rippled blaasop, Pelagocephalus marki Heemstra & Smith 1981, (Port Alfred to Knysna ) [3] Blunthead blaasop, blunthead puffer , Sphoeroides pachygaster (Müller & Troschel, 1848), (Circumglobal, deep water from the Cape to Beira ) [3] Lattice blaasop, Takifugu oblongus (Bloch, 1786), (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) [3] Dwarf blaasop, Torquigener hypselogeneion (Bleeker, 1852), (Indo-West Pacific from Knysna to Samoa) [3] Slender Blaasop, Torquigener sp., (known from South Africa only from 2 specimens collected off Durban ) [3] Spiny blaasop , Tylerius spinosissimus Regan, 1908, (Indo-West Pacific south to East London ) [3] Family: Triacanthodidae – Spikefishes
Trumpetsnout, Macrorhamphosodes uradoi (Kamohara, 1933), (1 record from off Port Elizabeth ; Kenya to Japan) [3] Sawspine spikefish, Paratriacanthodes retrospinis (Fowler, 1934), (Japan and China to Mozambique and Natal) [3] Shortsnout spikefish, Triacanthodes ethiops Alcock, 1894, (Japan to South Africa) [3] Fleshy lipped spikefish, Tydemania navigatoris Weber, 1913, (Japan to east coast of Africa,; several records from South Africa) [3] Family: Anoplogastridae – Fangtooth
Fangtooth Anoplogaster cornuta (Valenciennes, 1839) (In Agulhas current to about 29°S; north of 35°S off west coast. Worldwide between 46°N and 46°S) [3] Family: Diretmidae – Spinyfins
Diretmichthys parini (Post & Quéro, 1981), recorded as syn. Diretmoides parini Post and Quéro, 1981 (Tropical to temperate in Atlantic ocean with gap between 7°N -17°S; probably curcumglobal in southern oceans) [3] [176] Family: Monocentridae – Pineapple fishes
Pineapple fish Monocentris japonica (Houttuyn, 1782) (Indo-West Pacific and Red Sea south to Mossel Bay) [3] (Recorded from False Bay on at least two occasions) [99] Family: Trachichthyidae – Slimeheads
Gephyroberyx darwinii (Johnson, 1866) (all round South African coast) [3] Orange roughy , Hoplostethus atlanticus Collett, 1896 (From Iceland to Morocco and Walvis Bay to off Durban) [3] Black slimehead , Hoplostethus cadenati Quero, 1974 (West coast of Africa from 36°N - 26°S, and off Transkei) [3] Silver roughy , Hoplostethus mediterraneus Cuvier, 1829 (Namibia to Natal) [3] Blackfin roughy , Hoplostethus melanopterus Fowler, 1938 (known from off Transkei, Somalia and the Philippines) [3] Smallscale slimehead , Hoplostethus melanopus (Weber, 1913) (Indo-West pacific from Indonesia to Natal, also off Namibia and Cape Town) [3] Family: Grammicolepididae – Tinselfishes
Family: Oreosomatidae – Oreos
Family: Zeidae – Dories
Cyttopsis rosea (Lowe, 1843) (off Natal, Eastern Atlantic from France to Southern Angola, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, Southwest coast of India, Maldives and Japan) [3] King dory , Cyttus traversi Hutton, 1872 (Walvis ridge and off cape town to Algoa bay, south coast of Australia and New Zealand) [3] Buckler dory Zenopsis conchifer (Lowe, 1850) (Walvis Bay to Natal and north to India) [3] Cape dory , Zeus capensis Valenciennes, 1835 (St Helena Bay to Natal) [3] John Dory Zeus faber Linnaeus, 1758 (common along whole SA coast) [3] Family: Zenionidae – Zeniontids