All The Sea & Saltwater Fish Species That Occur In South Africa, Offshore, Estuary & Inshore Species

A List Of South African Salt Water Sea Fishes

Kob (Kabeljou)South Africa boasts more than 2,200 sea fish species, many endemic fish and many exotic fish. Listed below are the most common fish species you are likely to encounter when angling in estuaries, rivers, blind rivers, from the shore and rocks as well as offshore and in the deeper water. We as South African anglers and fishermen are very lucky to have the kind of saltwater resources, we do, so I am pleading with you to practice catch and release, follow bag and size limits and only keep the fish you really need. Our fish stocks are running out very fast and the more we conserve the more likely our sea fishes will start becoming more common again.

Below is the full list of all of South Africa's angling fishes plus fish types and species, and other exotic fish not often encountered. Click the link and you will find information on the fish you want, you will also see great photographs. The list below is in no particular order. See Freshwater Species List... See pictures of saltwater fish here...

South African Saltwater

Elephantfish
Silvertip Shark
Bronze Whaler
Spinner Shark
Bull (Zambezi) Shark
Blacktip Shark
Dusky Shark
Sandbar Shark
Blackspot Shark
Tiger Shark
Soupfin Shark
Hardnose Shark
Houndshark
Spotted Gullyshark
Milkshark
Black Stingray
Blue Stingray
Butterflyray
Honeycomb Stingray
Sharpnose Stingray
Bluespotted Ribbontail
Round Ribbontail
Cowshark
Whitespotted Shark
Great White Shark
Devilray
Spotted Eagleray
Eagleray
Bullray
Flapnose Ray
Ragged Tooth Shark
Leopard Shark
Largetooth Sawfish
Spearnose Skate
Lesser Guitarfish (Sandshark)
Greyspot Guitarfish (Sandshark)
Giant Guitarfish (Sandshark)
Banded Catshark
Tiger Catshark
Puffadder Shyshark
Brown Shyshark
Striped Catshark
Blackspotted Catshark
Leopard Catshark
Smooth Hammerhead Shark
Spotted Spiny Dogfish
Bluntnose Spiny Dogfish
African Angelshark
Marbled Electric Ray
Painted Surgeon
Convict Surgeon
Yellowfin Surgeon
Epaulette Surgeon
Longhorn Unicorn
Bonefish
Slender Glassy
Longspine Glassy
Masked Cardinal
White Seacatfish
Black Seacatfish
Cape Silverside
Hardyhead Silverside
Clown Triggerfish
Rectangular Triggerfish
Bridle Triggerfish
Barred Needlefish
Yellowfin Needlefish
Maned Blenny
Largetooth Flounder
Shrimp Scad
Threadfin Mirrorfish
Indian Mirrorfish
Longfin Kingfish
Shortfin Kingfish
Longnose Kingfish
Blue Kingfish
Yellowspotted Kingfish
Bludger
Bumpnose Kingfish
Malabar Kingfish
Giant Kingfish
Bluefin Kingfish
Brassy Kingfish
Blacktip Kingfish
Bigeye Kingfish
Slender Scad
Rainbow Runner
Golden Kingfish
Garrick (Leervis)
Torpedo Scad
Largemouth Queenfish
Needlescaled Queenfish
Cape Yellowtail
Longfin Yellowtail
Black Banded Yellowtail
African Pompano
Snubnose Pompano
Largespot Pompano (Wave Garrick)
Horse Mackerel
Razorfish
Threadfin Butterflyfish
Brown Butterflyfish
Spotted Butterflyfish
Whitespotted Butterflyfish
Halfmoon Butterflyfish
Pearly Butterflyfish
Doublesash Butterflyfish
Maypole Butterflyfish
Rightangle Butterflyfish
Limespot Butterflyfish
Vagabond Butterflyfish
Longnose Butterflyfish
Coachman
Milkfish
Butterfish(Twotone Fingerfin)
Natal Fingerfin
Wolfherring
Spotted Hawkfish
Moorish Idol
East Coast Roundherring
Estuarine Roundherring
Kelee Shad
Pilchard
Galjoen
Banded Galjoen
Dorado
Fringelip Tonguesole
Cave Bass
Sickle Fish
Remora Shark
Springer
Cape Anchovy
Glassnose
Longfin Batfish
Spadefish
Snoek (Barracouta)
Smallscale Pursemouth
Threadfin Pursemouth
Tank Goby
Prison Goby
African Mudhopper
Sixstripe Soapfish
Sailfin Rubberlip
Dusky Rubberlip
Lemonfish
Whitebarred Rubberlip
Minstrel
Spotted Grunter
Grey Grunter
Javelin Grunter
Saddle Grunter
Cock Grunter
Pinky (Olive) Grunter
Strepie
Striped Grunter
White Musselcracker
Streentjie
Great Barracuda
Pickhandle Barracuda
Evileyed Puffer
Milkspotted Puffer
Cuttlefish
Agile Klipfish
Oldman Klipfish
Robust Klipfish
Grass Klipfish
Bluntnose Kingfish
Super Klipfish
Slender Sunfish

Fish Species List

Spotted Halfbeak
Crimson Squirrelfish
Crown Squirrelfish
Sailfish
Black Marlin
Indo-Pacific Blue Marlin
Striped Marlin
Barred Flagtail
Grey Chub
Natal Wrasse
Saddleback Hogfish
Diana's Hogfish
Lined Hogfish
Goldsaddle Hogfish
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse
Greater Amberjack
Goldbar Wrasse
Rainbow Wrasse
Sixbar Wrasse
Ladder Wrasse
Bird Wrasse
Sling Jaw Wrasse
Toothed Soapy
Soapy
Slender Deep-Sea Soapy
Kosi Rockskipper
Grey Barenose
Yellowfin Emperor
Longnose Emperor
Blue Emperor
Tripletail
Streaker
River Snapper
Twinspot Snapper
Spotsnapper
Humpback Snapper
Bluebanded Snapper
Bigeye Snapper
Speckled Snapper
One-Spot Snapper
Bloodsnapper
Emperor Snapper
Rosy Jobfish
Oxeye Tarpon
Moonfish
Hake
Cape Moony
Southern Mullet
Striped Mullet
Flathead Mullet
Longarm Mullet
Indian Goatfish
Banddot Goatfish
Backsaddle Goatfish
Yellowbanded Goatfish
Pike Conger
Cape Conger Eel
Honeycomb Moray Eel
Yellowedged Moray Eel
Slender Giant Moray Eel
African Longfin Eel
Silverflash Spinecheek
Kingklip
Cape Knifejaw
Natal Knifejaw
Longhorn Cowfish
Dusky Sweeper
Bartail Flathead
Striped Barbel
Eel Barbel
Striped Threadfin
Emperor Angelfish
Semicircle Angelfish
Old Woman
Fourbar Damsel
Spot Damsel
Sergeant Major
Clownfish
Shad Elf
Cobia
Kob (Daga, Kabeljou)
King Kob
Cape Salmon
Longfin Kob
Mini Kob
Snapper Kob
Baardman
Saury
Wahoo
Frigate Tuna
Eastern Little Tuna
Oceanic Bonito (Skipjack)
Indian Mackerel
Striped Bonito
Chub Mackerel
Couta
Queen Mackerel
Longfin tuna
Yellowfin Tuna
Bigeye Tuna
Jacopever
Devil Firefish
Bigscale Scorpionfish
False Jacopever
Stonefish
Stonebream
Sea Goldfish
Peacock Rockcod
Coral Rockcod
Tiger Fin Rockcod
Tomato Rockcod
White Edged Rockcod
Spotted Rockcod
Brownspotted Rockcod
Redbarred Rockcod
Yellowtail Rockcod
Yellowbelly Rockcod
Brindle Bass
Marbled Coral Grouper
Malabar Rockcod
Honeycomb Rockcod
Halfmoon Rockcod
Potato Bass
Swallowtail Rockcod
Koester Rockod
Whitespotted Rabbitfish
Silver Sillago
East Coast Sole
Blackhand Sole
River Bream
Soldierbream
King Soldierbream
Carpenter
Fransmaddam
Santer
Englishman
Dageraad
Red Stumpnose
Roman
False Englishman
Slinger
White Karanteen
Black Musselcracker
Zebra Fish
Blacktail (Dassie)
John Brown
West Coast Steenbras
White Steenbras
Sand Steenbras
Blue Hottentot
Hottentot
Bronze Bream
Natal Sandbream
Red Steenbras
German
Blueskin
Scotsman
Seventyfour
Dane
Panga
Cape Stumpnose
White Stumpnose
Natal Stumpnose
Bigeye Stumpnose
Largescale Lizardfish
Thornfish
Blackback
Cape Gurnard
Target John Dory
Cape Dory

Some of this information was obtained for this table is from South African Fish & Fishing...