List of marine spiny-finned fishes of South Africa

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

This is a sub-list of the List of marine bony fishes of South Africa for spiny-finned fishes recorded from the oceans bordering South Africa. 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 Wikispecies 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.

File:Marine species distribution reference map Southern Africa.png
Map of the Southern African coastline showing some of the landmarks referred to in species range statements


Superorder Acanthopterygii — Spiny-finned fishes

Order Cetomimiformes — Whalefishes

Family: Barbourisiidae — Red whalefish

  • Barbourisia rufa Parr, 1954 (occasionally trawled off West Coast. Atlantic ocean (56°N- 35°S))[1]

Family: Cetomimidae — Whalefishes

Family: Rondeletiidae — Redmouth whalefish

Order Syngnathiformes

Family: Aulostomidae — Trumpetfishes

Family: Centriscidae — Snipefishes and shrimpfishes

Family: Fistulariidae — Flutemouths

  • Smooth flutemouth Fistularia commersonii Rüppell, 1938 (widespread Indo-Pacific south to Mossel Bay)[1]
  • Serrate flutemouth Fistularia petimba Lacepède, 1803 (Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific oceans; east coast of Africa south to Mossel bay; also reported from Walvis Bay and False Bay)[1]

Family: Solenostomidae — Ghost pipefishes

  • Ghost pipefish Solenostomus cyanopterus Bleeker 1854 (Indo-Pacific region including India, Japan and Australia, and south to East London)[1](one specimen reported from False Bay)

Family: Syngnathidae — Seahorses and pipefishes

Series Atherinomorpha

Order Atheriniformes

Suborder: Atherinoidei

Family: Atherinidae — Silversides

Family: Notocheiridae — Surf sprites

Order Beloniformes

Suborder: Belonoidei
Superfamily: Exocoetoidea

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)[1]
  • Spotfin flyingfish Cheilopogon furcatus (Mitchill, 1815) (offshore in all tropical seas. Off South African coast from the Cape eastwards)[1]
  • Blackfin flyingfish Cheilopogon nigricans (Bennett, 1840) (Tropical eastern Atlantic to Indo-West Pacific. One specimen known from South African waters)[1]
  • Smallhead flyingfish Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus altipinnis (Valenciennes, 1846) (Cape to Kosi Bay)[1]
  • Two-wing flyingfish Exocoetus monocirrhus (Richardson, 1846) (Indo-West Pacific south to Durban)[1]
  • Tropical two-wing flyingfish Exocoetus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) (worldwide in tropical waters, occasionally seen in South African waters)[1]
  • Subtropical flyingfish Hirundichthys rondeletii (Valenciennes, 1846) (widely distributed in subtropical waters of all oceans, common off the Cape)[1]
  • Mirrorwing flyingfish Hirundichthys speculiger (Valenciennes, 1846) (worldwide in tropical waters, one juvenile from Mbibi, Zululand, another from False Bay)[1]
  • Sailfin flyingfish Parexocoetus brachypterus (Richardson, 1846) (Tropical Indo-Pacific, south to Natal)[1]
  • Shortfin flyingfish Prognichthys brevipinnis (Valenciennes, 1846) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific, recorded from Lake St. Lucia and Indian Ocean off South Africa)[1]
  • Shortnose flyingfish Prognichthys sealei (Abe, 1955) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific; one adolescent off Cape St. Lucia and a small juvenile from Port Elizabeth)[1]

Family: Hemiramphidae — Halfbeaks

Superfamily: Scomberesocoidea

Family: Belonidae — Needlefishes

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)[1]


Series Percomorpha

Order Beryciformes

Suborder: Berycoidei

Family: Berycidae — Berycids

Suborder: Holocentroidei

Family: Holocentridae — Squirrelfishes and Soldierfishes Subfamily: Holocentrinae — Squirrelfishes

Subfamily: Myripristinae — Soldierfishes

Suborder: Trachichthyoidei

Family: Anoplogastridae — Fangtooth

  • Fangtooth Anaplogaster cornuta (Valenciennes, 1839) (In Agulhas current to about 29°S; north of 35°S off west coast. Worldwide between 46&degN and 46°S)[1]

Family: Diretmidae — Diretmids

  • Diretmoides parini Post and Quero, 1981 (Tropical to temperate in Atlantic ocean with gap between 7°N -17°S; probably curcumglobal in southern oceans)[1]

Family: Monocentridae — Pineapple fishes

  • Pineapple fish Monocentris japonicus (Houttuyn, 1782) (Indo-West Pacific and Red Sea south to Mossel Bay)[1](Recorded from False Bay on at least two occasions)[3]

Family: Trachichthyidae — Slimeheads

Order Gasterosteiformes

Family: Pegasidae — Seamoths

Order Perciformes — Perciform (perch-like) fishes

See article List of marine Perciform fishes of South Africa

Order Pleuronectiformes — Flatfishes

Suborder: Pleuronectoidei

Family: Achiropsettidae

  • Neoachiropsetta milfordi (Penrith, 1965) (off Cape Town, Argentina, Falkland Islands and New Zealand)[1](syn. Mancopsetta milfordi Penrith, 1965)

Family: Bothidae — Lefteye flounders

Family: Citharidae — Largescale flounders

Family: Paralichthyidae

Family: Pleuronectidae — Righteye flounders


Suborder: Soleoidei

Family: Cynoglossidae — Tonguefishes

Family: Soleidae — Soles


Order Scorpaeniformes

Suborder: Cottoidei
Superfamily: Cottoidea

Family: Psychrolutidae — Fatheads

Superfamily: Cyclopteroidea

Family: Liparidae — Snailfishes

Suborder: Dactylopteroidei

Family: Dactylopteridae — Helmet gurnards


Suborder: Platycephaloidei

Family: Hoplichthyidae — Spiny flatheads

Family: Parabembridae

Family: Platycephalidae — Flatheads

Suborder: Scorpaenoidei

Family: Apistidae

  • Bearded waspfish Apistus carinatus (Bloch, 1801) (Natal northwards, coastal areas of Indo-West Pacific)[1]

Family: Aploactinidae — Velvetfishes

Family: Caracanthidae — Coral crouchers

Family: Congiopodidae — Horsefishes

Family: Scorpaenidae
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 heterurus (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][2]
  • Devil Firefish Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) (Port Elizabeth northwards)[2](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 Pterois radiata Cuvier, 1829 (KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique)[2](Sodwana Bay northwards and to central Pacific)[1]
  • Plaintail firefish Pterois russelii Bennett, 1831 (Kwa-Zulu-Natal northward and to western Pacific)[1][2]

Subfamily: Scorpaeninae

Family: Sebastidae

Family: Setarchidae

Family: Synanceiidae — Stonefish

Family: Tetrarogidae — Waspfishes

Family: Triglidae — Gurnards

Order Stephanoberyciformes

Family: Melamphaidae — Bigscale fishes

Family: Stephanoberycidae — Pricklefishes

Order Tetraodontiformes

Family: Balistidae — Triggerfishes

Family: Diodontidae — Burrfishes and porcupinefishes

Family: Molidae — Ocean sunfishes

Family: Monacanthidae — Filefishes

Family: Ostraciidae — Boxfishes

Subfamily: Aracaninae

Subfamily: Ostraciinae

Family: Tetraodontidae — Blaasops or Puffers


Family: Triacanthodidae — Spikefishes

Shortsnout spikefish Triacanthodes ethiops Alcock, 1894 (Japan to South Africa)[1]

  • Fleshy lipped spikefish Tydemania navigatoris Weber, 1913 (Japan to east coast of Africa,; several records from South Africa)[1]


Order Zeiformes

Suborder: Caproidei

Family: Caproidae — Boarfishes

Suborder: Zeioidei

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)[1]
  • Cyttus traversi Hutton, 1872 (Walvis ridge and off cape town to Algoa bay, south coast of Australia and New Zealand)[1]
  • Buckler dory Zenopsis conchifer (Lowe, 1850) (Walvis Bay to Natal and north to India)[1]
  • Cape dory Zeus capensis Valenciennes, 1835 (St Helena Bay to Natal)[1]
  • John dory Zeus faber Linnaeus, 1758 (common along whole SA coast)[1]

Family: Zenionidae — Zeniontids

Series Mugilomorpha

Order Mugiliformes

Family: Mugilidae — Mullets

References

  1. 1.000 1.001 1.002 1.003 1.004 1.005 1.006 1.007 1.008 1.009 1.010 1.011 1.012 1.013 1.014 1.015 1.016 1.017 1.018 1.019 1.020 1.021 1.022 1.023 1.024 1.025 1.026 1.027 1.028 1.029 1.030 1.031 1.032 1.033 1.034 1.035 1.036 1.037 1.038 1.039 1.040 1.041 1.042 1.043 1.044 1.045 1.046 1.047 1.048 1.049 1.050 1.051 1.052 1.053 1.054 1.055 1.056 1.057 1.058 1.059 1.060 1.061 1.062 1.063 1.064 1.065 1.066 1.067 1.068 1.069 1.070 1.071 1.072 1.073 1.074 1.075 1.076 1.077 1.078 1.079 1.080 1.081 1.082 1.083 1.084 1.085 1.086 1.087 1.088 1.089 1.090 1.091 1.092 1.093 1.094 1.095 1.096 1.097 1.098 1.099 1.100 1.101 1.102 1.103 1.104 1.105 1.106 1.107 1.108 1.109 1.110 1.111 1.112 1.113 1.114 1.115 1.116 1.117 1.118 1.119 1.120 1.121 1.122 1.123 1.124 1.125 1.126 1.127 1.128 1.129 1.130 1.131 1.132 1.133 1.134 1.135 1.136 1.137 1.138 1.139 1.140 1.141 1.142 1.143 1.144 1.145 1.146 1.147 1.148 1.149 1.150 1.151 1.152 1.153 1.154 1.155 1.156 1.157 1.158 1.159 1.160 1.161 1.162 1.163 1.164 1.165 1.166 1.167 1.168 1.169 1.170 1.171 1.172 1.173 1.174 1.175 1.176 1.177 1.178 1.179 1.180 1.181 1.182 1.183 1.184 1.185 1.186 1.187 1.188 1.189 1.190 1.191 1.192 1.193 1.194 1.195 1.196 1.197 1.198 1.199 1.200 1.201 1.202 1.203 1.204 1.205 1.206 1.207 1.208 1.209 1.210 1.211 1.212 1.213 1.214 1.215 1.216 1.217 1.218 1.219 1.220 1.221 1.222 1.223 1.224 1.225 1.226 1.227 1.228 1.229 1.230 1.231 1.232 1.233 1.234 1.235 1.236 1.237 1.238 1.239 1.240 1.241 1.242 1.243 1.244 1.245 1.246 1.247 1.248 1.249 1.250 1.251 1.252 1.253 1.254 1.255 1.256 1.257 1.258 1.259 1.260 1.261 1.262 1.263 1.264 1.265 1.266 1.267 1.268 1.269 1.270 1.271 1.272 1.273 1.274 1.275 1.276 1.277 1.278 1.279 1.280 1.281 1.282 1.283 1.284 1.285 1.286 1.287 1.288 1.289 1.290 1.291 1.292 1.293 1.294 1.295 1.296 1.297 1.298 1.299 1.300 1.301 1.302 1.303 1.304 1.305 1.306 1.307 1.308 1.309 1.310 1.311 1.312 1.313 1.314 1.315 1.316 1.317 1.318 1.319 1.320 1.321 1.322 1.323 1.324 1.325 1.326 1.327 1.328 1.329 1.330 Ed. Smith, Margaret M, and Heemstra, P. Smith's sea fishes. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Grahamstown. Struik publishers, Cape Town, 2003.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 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
  3. 3.0 3.1 Zsilavecz, Guido, Coastal fishes of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay: A divers' identification guide. SURG, Cape Town, 2005. ISBN 0-620-34230-7
  4. Kuiter, R.H. 2009. Seahorses and their Relatives ISBN 978-0-9775372-1-1
  5. Bailly, N. (2009). Scorpaenopsis possi Randall & Eschmeyer, 2001. In: Nicolas Bailly (2009). World Database of Marine Pisces. Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=277535 on 2010-01-17
  6. Bailly, N. (2009). Chelidonichthys kumu (Cuvier, 1829). In: Nicolas Bailly (2009). World Database of Marine Pisces. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=218122 on 2010-01-18