Sub-list of the List of marine bony fishes of South Africa for perch-like fishes
Map of the Southern African coastline showing some of the landmarks referred to in species range statements
This is a sub-list of the
List of marine bony fishes of South Africa for
perch-like fishes recorded from the
oceans bordering South Africa.
This list comprises locally used
common names , currently accepted
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 . Internationally used common names may also be present where useful.
List ordering and
taxonomy complies where possible with the current usage in the
World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), 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.
Synonyms should be listed where useful.
Perciformes (), also called the Acanthopteri , is an
order or superorder of
ray-finned fish in the clade
Percomorpha . Perciformes means "
perch -like". Among the well-known members of this group are perch and darters (
Percidae ), sea bass and groupers (
Serranidae ). (
Full article... )
Family:
Psychrolutidae — Fatheads
Family:
Liparidae — Snailfishes
Family:
Percophidae — Duckbills
Family:
Apistidae
Bearded waspfish
Apistus carinatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Natal northwards, coastal areas of Indo-West Pacific)
[1]
Family:
Aploactinidae — Velvetfishes
Family:
Bembridae
Family:
Congiopodidae — Horsefishes
Family:
Hoplichthyidae — Spiny flatheads
Family:
Peristediidae — Armoured gurnards
Family:
Platycephalidae — Flatheads
Crocodile flathead ,
Cociella crocodilus (Cuvier, 1829), recorded as syn. Cociella crocodila (
Tilesius , 1812) (Durban northwards and from Red sea to Japan and Guadalcanal)
[1]
[5]
Spotfin flathead
Cociella sp. (East London north to Madagascar and Oman)
[1]
Thorny flathead,
Sorsogona portuguesa (Smith, 1953), recorded as syn. Grammoplites portuguesus (Smith, 1953) (Durban to Beira)
[1]
[6]
Large-scale flathead
Onigocia oligolepis (Regan, 1908) (three specimens known from Natal)
[1]
Madagascar flathead,
tentacled flathead
Papilloculiceps longiceps (Ehrenberg, 1829) (Widespread from Durban north to Red sea)
[1]
Bartail flathead ,
Platycephalus indicus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cape Agulhas to Mozambique)
[7] (Widespread from Mossel bay northward to Red sea, and Japan and Australia)
[1]
Sand flathead,
Sunagocia arenicola (Schultz, 1966), recorded as syn, Thysanophrys arenicola Schultz, 1966 (Natal north to Seychelles; Chagos archipelago; Indonesia, Australia, Philippines and Marshall Islands)
[1]
[8]
Quarterspined flathead
Thysanophrys celebica (Bleeker, 1854) (Durban north to Zanzibar)
[1]
Longsnout flathead
Thysanophrys chiltonae Schultz, 1966 (Red sea and Indo-West Pacific from northern Natal to Australia)
[1]
Fringelip flathead,
Sunagocia otaitensis (Cuvier, 1829), recorded as syn. Thysanophrys otaitensis (Cuvier, 1829) (Natal north to Seychelles, and throughout tropical Indo-Pacific).
[1]
[9]
Family:
Scorpaenidae
Subfamily:
Caracanthinae — Coral crouchers
Subfamily:
Choradactylinae
Subfamily:
Minoinae
Onestick stingfish
Minous coccineus Alcock, 1890 (Durban, northwards; also in Red sea, Arabian sea and eastwards to gulf of Thailand)
[1]
Subfamily:
Pteroinae
Shortfin turkeyfish
Dendrochirus brachypterus (Cuvier, 1829) (Transkei north to Red sea and east to central Pacific)
[1]
Zebra turkeyfish
Dendrochirus zebra (Cuvier, 1829) (off Durban; northwards to Red sea and eastwards to central Pacific)
[1]
Blackfoot firefish
Parapterois heterura (Bleeker, 1856) (Natal and northwards across Indian ocean to western Pacific)
[1]
Broadbarred firefish
Pterois antennata (Bloch, 1787) (KwaZulu-Natal northwards and to central Pacific)
[1]
[7]
Devil Firefish
Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) (Port Elizabeth northwards)
[7] (Port Alfred northwards to Red sea and eastern Indian ocean)
[1]
Deepwater firefish
Pterois mombasae (Smith, 1957) (off Durban, Sri Lanka and New Guinea)
[1]
Radial firefish,
clearfin lionfish ,
Pterois radiata Cuvier, 1829 (KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique)
[7] (Sodwana Bay northwards and to central Pacific)
[1]
Plaintail firefish
Pterois russelii Bennett, 1831 (Kwa-Zulu-Natal northward and to western Pacific)
[1]
[7]
Subfamily:
Scorpaeninae
Decoy scorpionfish
Iracundus signifer Jordan and Evermann, 1903 (one taken off Sodwana Bay)
[1]
Spotfin scorpionfish ,
Neoscorpaena nielseni (Smith, 1964), recorded as syn. Neomerinthe nielseni (Smith, 1964) (several specimens from off Durban)
[1]
[10]
Ocellated scorpionfish
Parascorpaena mcadamsi (Fowler, 1938) (Sodwana Bay, Zululand, and Mozambique to Pacific)
[1]
Golden scorpionfish
Parascorpaena mossambica (Peters, 1855) (Xora and Sodwana Bay northwards, east Africa to central Pacific)
[1]
Phenacoscorpius adenensis Norman, 1939 (near Buffalo River)
[1]
Speckled deepwater scorpionfish
Pontinus leda Eschmeyer, 1969 (off west coast from gulf of Guinea to 18°45'S)
[1]
Blacklash scorpionfish
Pontinus nigerimum Eschmeyer, 1983 (one specimen off Natal)
[1]
Popeyed scorpionfish
Rhinopias frondosa (Günther, 1891) (Durban north along African coast and east to Japan and Caroline Islands)
[1]
[7]
Bigscale scorpionfish
Scorpaena scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 (Algoa bay to Natal)
[1]
Guam scorpionfish
Scorpaenodes guamensis Quoy and Gaimard, 1824 (Transkei northwards and throughout Indo-West Pacific)
[1]
Hairy scorpionfish
Scorpaenodes hirsutus (Smith, 1957) (Sodwana Bay northwards, scattered localities in Indo-West Pacific to Hawaii and Tahiti)
[1]
Dwarf scorpionfish
Scorpaenodes kelloggi (Jenkins, 1903) (Sodwana bay and scattered localities in Indo-Pacific, east to Hawaii and Tahiti)
[1]
Cheekspot scorpionfish,
Scorpaenodes evides (Jordan & Thompson, 1914), recorded as syn. Scorpaenodes littoralis (Tanaka, 1917) (a few specimens from deep reefs off Natal; also scattered localities in Indo-West Pacific)
[1]
[11]
Coral scorpionfish
Scorpaenodes parvipinnis (Garrett, 1863) (Durban northwards; widespread on coral reefs throughout Indo-West Pacific)
[1]
Blotchfin scorpionfish
Scorpaenodes varipinnis Smith, 1957 (Sodwana bay and northwards in western Indian Ocean)
[1]
Bigmouth scorpionfish
Scorpaenopsis brevifrons Eschmeyer and Randall, 1975 (Sodwana bay northward; also at scattered localities in the Indo-Pacific)
[1]
False stonefish
Scorpaenopsis diabolus Cuvier, 1829 (Xora northwards, widespread in Indo-West Pacific.)
[1]
Humpbacked scorpionfish ,
Scorpaenopsis gibbosa Bloch and Schneider, 1801 (Transkei northwards, Indian Ocean and Red sea)
[1]
Gilchrist's scorpionfish
Scorpaenopsis gilchristi (Smith, 1957) (1 specimen off Tugela river)
[1]
Smallscale scorpionfish
Scorpaenopsis oxycephalus Bleeker, 1849 (Sodwana Bay and scattered localities in the Indo-Pacific)
[1]
Spinycrown scorpionfish,
Poss's scorpionfish ,
Scorpaenopsis possi Randall & Eschmeyer, 2001, (Sodwana Bay northwards, throughout Indo-Pacific))
[12]
Raggy scorpionfish
Scorpaenopsis venosa (Cuvier, 1829) (Durban northwards and scattered localities in Indo-Pacific)
[1]
[7]
Yellowspotted scorpionfish
Sebastapistes cyanostigma (Bleeker, 1856) (Port Alfred northwards to Red sea and east to central Pacific)
[1]
Spineblotch scorpionfish
Sebastapistes mauritiana (Cuvier, 1829) (Transkei northwards, scattered Indo-Pacific localities)
[1]
Barchin scorpionfish
Sebastapistes strongia (Cuvier, 1829) (Transkei northwards, widespread in Indo-Pacific)
[1]
Darkspotted scorpionfish
Sebastapistes tinkhami (Fowler, 1946) (Sodwana bay, western and south Pacific)
[1]
Paperfish ir Leaf scorpionfish
Taenianotus triacanthus Lacépède, 1802 (Durban northwards and to central Pacific)
[1]
Family:
Sebastidae
Family:
Setarchidae
Family:
Synanceiidae — Stonefish
Family:
Tetrarogidae — Waspfishes
Family:
Triglidae — Gurnards
Cape gurnard ,
Chelidonichthys capensis (Cuvier, 1829) (Cape Fria to Maputo)
[1]
[7]
Bluefin gurnard ,
Chelidonichthys kumu (Cuvier, 1829)
[14] (Cape Point to Delagoa Bay)
[1]
[7]
African gurnard,
streaked gurnard ,
Chelidonichthys lastoviza (Bonnaterre, 1788), recorded as syn. Trigloporus lastoviza (Bonnaterre, 1788) and Trigloporus lastoviza africanus (Smith, 1934), (St. Sebastian Bay to Port Alfred)
[1]
[15]
Lesser gurnard ,
Chelidonichthys queketti (Regan, 1904) (Table bay to Natal)
[1]
Prickly gurnard
Lepidotrigla faurei (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1914) (Durban northwards to India)
[1]
Spiny gurnard
Lepidotrigla multispinosa Smith, 1934 (Natal to Kenya)
[1]
Family:
Serranidae — Rockcods (groupers) and seabasses
Subfamily:
Anthiadinae
Gorgeous swallowtail,
Meganthias natalensis (Fowler, 1925), recorded as syn. Holanthias natalensis (Fowler, 1925) (
East London to Madagascar and Reunion)
[1]
[16]
Threadfin goldie
Nemanthias carberryi Smith, 1954 (Western Indian ocean south to Natal)
[1]
Checked swallowtail,
Odontanthias borbonius (Valenciennes, 1828), recorded as syn. Holanthias borbonius (Valenciennes, 1828) (1 specimen off Durban, Mauritius, Reunion, Comores, Madagascar and Japan)
[1]
[17]
Silverspots
Plectranthias longimanus (Weber, 1913) (Natal to Kenya)
[1]
Flagfin
Plectranthias morgansi (Smith, 1961) (Five specimens off Kenya and 3 off South Africa)
[1]
Redblotch basslet
Plectranthias winniensis (Tyler, 1966) Western Indian ocean to Natal)
[1]
Harlequin goldie,
Pseudanthias connelli (Heemstra & Randall, 1986), recorded as syn. Anthias connelli Heemstra and Randall, 1986 (off
Brighton Beach south of
Durban Harbour)
[1]
[18]
Silver streak goldie,
Pseudanthias cooperi (Regan, 1902), recorded as syn. Anthias cooperi Regan, 1902, (Natal coast and across Indian ocean to Japan and east coast of Australia)
[1]
[19]
Sea goldie
Pseudanthias squamipinnis (Peters, 1855), also recorded as syn. Anthias squamipinnis , (
Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)
[1]
[7]
Subfamily:
Epinephelinae
Goldribbon soapfish ,
Aulacocephalus temminckii Bleeker, 1854 (Indo-Pacific south to
Durban )
[1]
Peacock rockcod
Cephalopholis argus Schneider, 1801 (
Durban to Red sea)
[1]
Golden rockcod
Cephalopholis aurantia (Valenciennes, 1828) (Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles, east and southern Africa south to
Durban )
[1]
Coral rockcod,
coral grouper ,
Cephalopholis miniata (Forsskål, 1775) (Central KwaZulu-Natal to Red Sea)
[1]
[7]
Duskyfin rockcod
Cephalopholis nigripinnis (Valenciennes, 1828) (Indian Ocean south to Natal)
[1]
Tomato rockcod
Cephalopholis sonnerati (Valenciennes, 1828) (Indian Ocean south to
Durban )
[1]
Smooth rockcod,
smooth grouper ,
Dermatolepis striolata (Playfair 1867) (
Durban to Oman)
[1]
White-edged rockcod
Epinephelus albomarginatus Boulenger, 1903 (
East London to southern Mozambique)
[1]
Catface rockcod
Epinephelus andersoni Boulenger, 1903 (
Mossel Bay to southern Mozambique)
[1]
[7]
Squaretail rockcod,
areolate grouper ,
Epinephelus areolatus (Forsskål, 1775) (Natal to Red Sea)
[1]
Whitespotted rockcod,
whitespotted grouper ,
Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus (Bloch, 1790), (Indian Ocean south to Natal)
[1]
Moustache rockcod
Epinephelus chabaudi Castelnau, 1861 (
Algoa Bay to Kenya)
[1]
Brownspotted rockcod,
brownspotted grouper ,
Epinephelus chlorostigma (Valenciennes. 1828) (Natal to Red Sea)
[1]
Redbarred rockcod,
blacktip grouper ,
Epinephelus fasciatus (Forsskål, 1775) (
Port Alfred to Red Sea)
[1]
Bigspot rockcod
Epinephelus faveatus (Valenciennes, 1828) (Indian Ocean to Natal)
[1]
Yellowtail rockcod
Epinephelus flavocaeruleus (Lacepède, 1802) (Port Alfred to Kenya)
[1]
Brindlebass,
giant grouper ,
Epinephelus lanceolatus (Bloch, 1790) (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to
Algoa Bay )
[1]
Streakyspot rockcod
Epinephelus longispinis (Kner, 1865) (Indian ocean, Transkei to Indonesia)
[1]
Yellowbelly rockcod
Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834) (Namibia to Mozambique)
[7] Formerly identified as
Epinephelus guaza (Linnaeus, 1758)
[20]
Speckled rockcod
Epinephelus magniscuttis Postel, Fourmanoir & Guézé, 1963 (
Sodwana Bay , Mozambique, Mauritius and Reunion)
[1]
Malabar rockcod,
malabar grouper ,
Epinephelus malabaricus (Schneider, 1801) (Transkei to Red Sea)
[1]
One-blotch rockcod
Epinephelus melanostigma (Schultz, 1953) (Indian Ocean south to
Durban )
[1]
Honeycomb rockcod,
honeycomb grouper ,
Epinephelus merra Bloch, 1793 (Indo-West Pacific to Transkei)
[1]
Contour rockcod,
comet grouper ,
Epinephelus morrhua (Valenciennes, 1833) (
Durban to Red Sea)
[1]
Dot-dash rockcod
Epinephelus poecilonotus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1842) (
Port Alfred to Somalia)
[1]
Tiger rockcod
Epinephelus posteli Fourmanoir & Crosnier, 1964 (Natal, Mozambique and Madagascar)
[1]
Oblique banded rockcod
Epinephelus radiatus (Day, 1867) (Natal, Mauritius, Reunion, south India, Chagos archipelago, east to southern Japan)
[1]
Halfmoon rockcod
Epinephelus rivulatus (Valenciennes, 1830) (
Algoa Bay to India)
[1]
Foursaddle rockcod
Epinephelus spilotoceps Schultz, 1953 (Natal to Kenya)
[1]
Orangespotted rockcod,
Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton, 1822), recorded as syn. Epinephelus suillus (Valenciennes, 1828), (Natal to Persian Gulf)
[1]
[21]
Greasy rockcod,
greasy grouper ,
Epinephelus tauvina (Forsskål, 1775), (Red Sea to Natal)
[1]
Potato bass,
potato grouper ,
Epinephelus tukula Morgans, 1959 (Indo-West Pacific from Central KwaZulu-Natal to Japan and Australia)
[1]
[7]
Yellow-edged lyretail or Swallowtail rockcod
Variola louti (Forsskål, 1775) (Central KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique)
[1]
[7]
Subfamily:
Grammistinae — Soapfishes and Podges
Blotched podge
Aporops bilinearis Schultz, 1943, also recorded as syn. Aporops allfreei Smith, 1953, (
Sodwana Bay to Kenya)
[1]
Arrowhead soapfish,
Belonoperca chabanaudi Fowler & Bean, 1930 (Central Pacific to east Africa, south to Natal)
[1]
Sixstripe soapfish
goldenstriped soapfish ,
Grammistes sexlineatus (Thunberg, 1792) (
East London to Red Sea)
[1]
[7]
Honeycomb podge
Pseudogramma polyacantha (Bleeker, 1856) (Indo-Pacific south to
Sodwana Bay )
[1]
Subfamily:
Serraninae
Family:
Ammodytidae — Sandlances
Family:
Pinguipedidae — Sandsmelts
Blacktail sandsmelt
Parapercis hexophtalma (Cuvier, 1829) (Red Sea to
Durban )
[1]
Deepwater sandsmelt
Parapercis maritzi Anderson, 1992 (Natal and Transkei)
[1]
Spotted sandsmelt
Parapercis punctulata (Cuvier, 1829) (Northern Natal)
[1]
Smallscale sandsmelt
Parapercis robinsoni Fowler, 1929 (Persian Gulf to
Algoa Bay )
[1]
Rosy sandsmelt
Parapercis schauinslandii (Steindachner, 1900) (Hawaii, Seychelles, Comores, and
Durban )
[1]
Blotchlip sandsmelt
Parapercis xanthozona Bleeker, 1849 (Indo-West Pacific, 2 specimens from Natal)
[1]
Family:
Uranoscopidae — Stargazers
Family:
Zoarcidae — Eelpouts
References
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el Ed. Smith, Margaret M, and Heemstra, P. Smith's sea fishes . South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown. Struik publishers, Cape Town, 2003.
^
"Pteropsaron natalensis (Nelson, 1982)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Satyrichthys adeni (Lloyd, 1907)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Satyrichthys investigatoris (Alcock, 1898)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Cociella crocodila (Tilesius, 1814)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Grammoplites portuguesus (Smith, 1953)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
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r Branch, G.M. Griffiths, C.L. Branch, M.L. Beckley, L.E. Two Oceans: A guide to the marine life of southern Africa. 5th impression, David Philip, Cape Town, 2000.
ISBN
0-86486-250-4
^
"Thysanophrys arenicola Schultz, 1966" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Thysanophrys otaitensis (Cuvier, 1829)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Neomerinthe nielseni (Smith, 1964)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Scorpaenodes littoralis (Tanaka, 1917)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Scorpaenopsis possi Randall & Eschmeyer, 2001" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 17 January 2010 .
^
"Trachyscorpia capensis (Gilchrist & von Bonde, 1924)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Chelidonichthys kumu (Cuvier, 1829)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 18 January 2010 .
^
"Trigloporus lastoviza (Bonnaterre, 1788)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Holanthias natalensis (Fowler, 1925)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Holanthias borbonius (Valenciennes, 1828)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Anthias connelli Heemstra & Randall, 1986" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Anthias cooperi Regan, 1902" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
a
b
c Heemstra, Phil & Heemstra, Elaine. Coastal Fishes of Southern Africa NISC/SAIAB Grahamstown, 2004.
ISBN
1-920033-01-7
^
"Epinephelus suillus (Valenciennes, 1828)" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Serranus knysnaensis Gilchrist, 1904" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Bleekeria renniei Smith, 1957" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^
"Lycodes agulhensis Andriashev, 1959" . WoRMS .
World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 12 November 2023 .
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