This is a list of fishes recorded from the oceans bordering South Africa. This part of the list includes any fishes that are not bony fishes., which are the jawless and jawed cartilagenous fishes. This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Ranges specified may not be the entire known range for the species, but should include the known range within the waters surrounding the Republic of South Africa.
List ordering and taxonomy complies where possible with the current usage in World Register of Marine Species, and may differ from the cited source, as listed citations are primarily for range or existence of records for the region. Sub-taxa within any given taxon are arranged alphabetically as a general rule. Details of each species may be available through the relevant internal links. Synonyms may be listed where useful (usually when recorded under the synonym).
Infraphylum Agnatha – Jawless fishes (Cyclostomes) Class Myxini
Order Myxiniformes – Hagfishes Family: Myxinidae Six-gill hagfish or snotslang Eptatretus hexatrema (Müller, 1834) (Walvis Bay to Durban)Ed. Smith, Margaret M, and Heemstra, P. Smith's sea fishes. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown. Struik publishers, Cape Town, 2003. Eightgill hagfish Eptatretus octatrema Barnard, 1923 (Agulhas bank) Fivegill hagfish Eptatretus profundus Barnard, 1923 (off Cape Point) Cape hagfish Myxine capensis Regan, 1913 (Cape of Good Hope)
Infraphylum Gnathostomata – Jawed fishes
Parvphylum Chondrichthyes – Cartilaginous fishes
Class Elasmobranchii – Sharks and Rays
Infraclass Batoidea – Rays (including skates, guitarfish and sawfish)
Order Myliobatiformes – Stingrays Family: Dasyatidae – Whiptail stingrays Short-tail stingray, Dasyatis brevicaudata (Hutton, 1875) (False Bay to Delagoa Bay) Blue stingray Dasyatis chrysonota (Smith, 1828) (Central Angola to Delagoa Bay) (syn. Dasyatis marmoratis) Thorntail stingray, Dasyatis thetidis Ogilby, 1899 (Algoa Bay to Mozambique) Pelagic stingray, Dasyatis violacea (Bonaparte, 1832) (offshore, two records from SA) Dragon stingray, Jenkins' whipray, Himantura draco Compagno and Heemstra, 1984 (off Durban) Sharpnose stingray, whitespotted whipray Himantura gerrardi (Gray, 1851) (Eastern Cape to Mozambique) Honeycomb stingray, reticulate whipray, Himantura uarnak (Forsskål, 1775) (Port Alfred to Mozambique) Roundnose stingray Himantura sp. (Durban bay) Bluespotted stingray, Kuhl's maskray, Neotrygon kuhlii (Müller & Henle, 1841) (Durban to tropical Indo-West Pacific)(Syn. Dasyatis kuhlii) Feathertail stingray, Cowtail stingray, Pastinachus sephen (Forsskål, 1775) (Zululand) (syn. Hypolophus sephen, Dasyatis sephen) Bluespotted ribbontail ray Taeniura lymma (Forsskål, 1775) Round ribbontail ray or giant reef rayTaeniura meyeni Müller & Henle, 1841 (Natal to Red Sea) (syn. Taeniura melanospilos Bleeker, 1853) Porcupine ray, Urogymnus asperrimus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) (Natal to Indo-West Pacific)
Family: Gymnuridae – Butterflyrays Japanese butterfly ray, Gymnura japonica (Temminck and Schlegel, 1850) (Agulhas bank) (Identification provisional) Backwater butterfly ray, Gymnura natalensis (Gilchrist and Thompson, 1911) (Mossel Bay to southern Mozambique)
Family: Hexatrygonidae – Sixgill stingrays Sixgill stingray, Hexatrygon bickelli Heemstra and Smith, 1980 (Port Elizabeth and Port Alfred)
Family: Myliobatidae – Eagle rays Spotted eagle ray, Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790) (Mossel Bay to Mozambique) Bull ray, Aetomylaeus bovinus (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817), also reported as syn. Pteromylaeus bovinus (Saint-Hilaire, 1817) (South-western Cape to Zanzibar) Manta, giant oceanic manta ray, Mobula birostris (Walbaum, 1792), also reported as syn. Manta birostris (Donndorff, 1798) (possibly circumtropical, from the Cape eastwards) Longhorned mobula, Mobula eregoodootenkee (Cuvier, 1829) (Indo-West Pacific south to Natal) Spinetail mobula, devil fish, Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788), also recorded as syn. Mobula japanica (Müller & Henle, 1841) (Natal) Shortfin devil ray Mobula kuhlii (Valenciennes, 1841) (Port Alfred to Indo-West Pacific) Spiny mobula, Chilean devil ray, Mobula tarapacana (Lloyd, 1908) (Reported from Natal and Jeffrey's Bay) Smoothtail mobula, bentfin devil ray, Mobula thurstoni (Lloyd, 1908) (Reported from Natal and Algoa Bay) Common eagle ray, Myliobatis aquila (Linnaeus, 1758) (Namibia to KwaZulu-Natal) Flapnose ray, Rhinoptera javanica Muller and Henle, 1841 (Durban and north)
Order Rajiformes – Rays, skates and guitarfish
Family Anacanthobatidae Spotted legskate, Anacanthobatis marmorata von Bonde and Swart, 1923 (Durban to southern Mozambique)
Family Arhynchobatidae Bathyraja smithii (Müller & Henle, 1841) (Agulhas bank and west of Cape Town)
Family Gurgesiellidae Cruriraja durbanensis (von Bonde and Swart, 1923) (off Western Cape province) Cruriraja parcomaculata von Bonde and Swart, 1923 (Lüderitz to Durban) also recorded as syn. Cruriraja triangularis Smith, 1964 (Durban to Mozambique)
Family: Rajidae – Skates Arctic skate, Amblyraja hyperborea (Collett, 1879) recorded as syn. Raja robertsi Hulley, 1970 (west of Cape Town) Slimeskate, Dipturus pullopunctatus (Smith, 1964) also recorded as syn. Raja pullopunctata Smith, 1964 (Luderitz to Mozambique) Dipturus springeri (Wallace, 1967) reported as syn. Raja springeri Wallace, 1967 (Durban to Mozambique) Blancmange skate, Leucoraja wallacei (Hulley, 1970)recorded as syn. Raja Wallacei Hulley, 1970 (Cape to Limpopo river mouth) Malacoraja spinacidermis (Barnard, 1923) recorded as syn. Raja spinacidermis Barnard, 1923, (off west coast) African dwarf skate, Neoraja stehmanni (Hulley, 1972) (West of Cape Town to south of Agulha Bank) Thornback skate Raja clavata Linnaeus, 1758, (Walvis Bay to Durban) Twineye skate, Raja miraletus Linnaeus, 1758, (False Bay to Durban) Biscuit skate or false thornback skate, Raja straeleni Poll, 1951, (West Africa to East London) Bigthorn skate, Rajella barnardi (Norman, 1935), also reported as syn. Raja confundens Hulley, 1970 (West coast from 19°S to east of Cape Point) Munchkin skate, Rajella caudaspinosa (von Bonde & Swart, 1923), also recorded as syn. Raja caudaspinosa von Bonde and Swart, 1923 (Luderitz to Cape Point) Ghost skate, Rajella dissimilis (Hulley, 1970) also recorded as syn. Raja dissimilis Hulley, 1970 (west of Cape Town) Leopard skate, Rajella leoparda also reported as syn. Raja leopardus von Bonde and Swart, 1923, (west coast from 18°S to 35°S) Smoothback skate, Rajella ravidula (Hulley, 1970), recorded as Raja ravidula Hulley, 1970 (off Cape Town) Spearnose skate, bottlenose skate, Rostroraja alba (Lacepède, 1803) (West Africa to Madagascar) (syn. Raja alba)
Order Rhinopristiformes Family: Pristidae – Sawfishes Largetooth sawfish, Pristis microdon Latham, 1794 (Natal to tropical Indo-West Pacific) Smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata Latham, 1794 (Port Alfred to Mozambique) Longcomb sawfish, Pristis zijsron Bleeker, 1851 (Port Alfred to Indo-West Pacific)
Family: Rhinobatidae – Guitarfish Lesser sandshark or lesser guitarfish, Acroteriobatus annulatus (Müller & Henle, 1841), recorded as syn. Rhinobatos annulatus Smith in Müller & Henle, 1841 (Cape Columbine to Mozambique) Greyspotted guitarfish, Acroteriobatus leucospilus (Norman, 1926), recorded as syn. Rhinobatos leucospilus Norman, 1926 (Durban to Amatikulu Bluff) Speckled guitarfish, Acroteriobatus ocellatus (Norman, 1926), recorded as syn. Rhinobatos ocellatus Norman, 1926 (Algoa Bay) Bowmouth guitarfish, Rhina ancylostomus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 (KwaZulu-Natal to tropical Ind-West Pacific) Bluntnose guitarfish, Rhinobatos blochii Müller & Henle, 1841 (Cape to Walvis Bay) Slender guitarfish, Rhinobatos holcorhynchus Norman, 1922 (Port Shepstone to Zululand) Giant sandshark, giant guitarfish, Rhynchobatus djiddensis (Forsskål, 1775) (Knysna to Mozambique)
Order Torpediniformes – Electric rays
Family: Narkidae Ornate torpedo ray, ornate sleeper-ray, Electrolux addisoni Compagno & Heemstra, 2007 (Coffee Bay, Eastern Cape Province, to just north of Durban, kwaZulu-Natal) Natal electric ray, Heteronarce garmani Regan, 1921 (Algoa Bay to KwaZulu-Natal) Onefin electric ray or Torpedo ray Narke capensis (Gmelin, 1789) (Atlantic coast of Cape Peninsula to Madagascar)
Family: Torpedinidae Atlantic electric ray, Atlantic torpedo, Tetronarce nobiliana (Bonaparte, 1835), recorded as syn. Torpedo nobiliana Bonaparte, 1835, (Western Cape coast to Algoa Bay) Blackspotted electric ray, blackspotted torpedo, Torpedo fuscomaculata Peters, 1855 (Cape Columbine to Mozambique) Marbled electrical ray, gulf torpedo, Torpedo sinuspersici Olfers, 1831, (Eastern Cape to Mozambique)
Infraclass Selachii – Sharks
Order Carcharhiniformes – Ground sharks Family: Carcharhinidae – Requiem sharks Silvertip shark Carcharhinus albimarginatus (Rüppell, 1837) (North of Cape Vidal) Bignose shark Carcharhinus altimus (Springer, 1950) (Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal) Shortnose blacktail reef shark or grey reef shark Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (Bleeker, 1856) (Northern KwaZulu-Natal to Red Sea) also recorded as syn. Carcharhinus wheeleri (Garrick, 1982) Java shark, pigeye shark, Carcharhinus amboinensis (Müller and Henle, 1839) (Eastern Cape and Natal) Copper shark, bronze whaler, Carcharhinus brachyurus (Günther, 1870) (Namibia to Durban) Spinner shark, Carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller and Henle, 1838) (Mossel Bay to Red sea) Silky shark, Carcharhinus falciformis (Bibron, 1839) (Durban to Zanzibar) Zambezi or Bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes in Müller & Henle, 1839) (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique) Blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus (Müller and Henle, 1839) (Southern Cape to Madagascar) Oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus (Poey, 1861) (South-eastern Cape and Natal) Dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus (Lesueur, 1818) (Cape Point to Mozambique) Sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) (Algoa Bay to Madagascar) Blackspot shark, Carcharhinus sealei (Pietschmann, 1913) (Natal to Zanzibar) Spot-tail shark, Carcharhinus sorrah (Valenciennes, 1839) (Northern Natal to Red Sea) Tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier (Péron & Lesueur, 1822) (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique) Sliteye shark, Loxodon macrorhinus Müller and Henle, 1839, (Natal to Tropical Indo-West Pacific) Sicklefin lemon shark, Negaprion acutidens (Rüppell, 1837) (Natal and Indo-Pacific) Blue shark, Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) (off south-western Cape coast) Milk shark, Rhizoprionodon acutus (Rüppell, 1837) (Southern KwaZulu-Natal to Indo-West Pacific) Whitetip reef shark Triaenodon obesus (Rüppell, 1837) (Southern KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique)
Family: Hemigaleidae Snaggletooth shark, Hemipristis elongata (Klunzinger, 1871) (Natal and Indo-West Pacific) Whitetip weasel shark, Paragaleus leucolomatus Compagno and Smale, 1985 (Kosi Bay)
Family: Pentanchidae Smalleye catshark, Apristurus microps (Gilchrist, 1922) (Western Cape to Agulhas) Saldanha catshark, Apristurus saldanha (Barnard 1925) (Saldanha bay) Lined catshark or Banded catshark Halaelurus lineatus Bass, D'Aubrey & Kistnasamy, 1975 (KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique) Tiger catshark Halaelurus natalensis (Regan, 1904) Spotted catshark, white-spotted Izak, Holohalaelurus punctatus (Gilchrist, 1914) (Natal to Mozambique) Izak catshark, Holohalaelurus regani (Gilchrist, 1922) (South-western Cape to Zanzibar)
Family: Proscylliidae African ribbontail catshark, Eridacnis sinuans (Smith, 1927) (Natal to Tanzania)
Family: Scyliorhinidae – Catsharks Swell shark, balloon shark, Cephaloscyllium sufflans (Regan, 1921) (Central KwaZulu-Natal to Gulf of Aden) Puffadder shyshark or Happy Eddie Haploblepharus edwardsii (Schinz, 1822) (Cape Point to central KwaZulu-Natal) Brown shyshark Haploblepharus fuscus Smith, 1950 (Cape Agulhas to southern KwaZulu-Natal)