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List of marine fishes of South Africa

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

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

Family: Gymnuridae – Butterflyrays

Family: Hexatrygonidae – Sixgill stingrays

Family: Myliobatidae – Eagle rays

Order Rajiformes – Rays, skates and guitarfish

Family Anacanthobatidae

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

Order Rhinopristiformes

Family: Pristidae – Sawfishes

Family: Rhinobatidae – Guitarfish

Order Torpediniformes – Electric rays

Family: Narkidae

Family: Torpedinidae

Infraclass Selachii – Sharks
Order Carcharhiniformes – Ground sharks

Family: Carcharhinidae – Requiem sharks

Family: Hemigaleidae

Family: Pentanchidae

Family: Proscylliidae

Family: Scyliorhinidae – Catsharks

Family: Sphyrnidae – Hammerhead sharks

Family: Triakidae – Houndsharks

Order Echinorhiniformes

Family: Echinorhinidae – Bramble sharks

Order Hexanchiformes – Cow and frill sharks

Family: Hexanchidae – Cow sharks

Order Lamniformes – Mackerel sharks

Family: Alopiidae – Thresher sharks

Family: Cetorhinidae – Basking sharks

Family: Lamnidae – Mackerel sharks

Family: Mitsukurinidae – Goblin sharks

Family: Odontaspididae

Family: Pseudocarchariidae – Crocodile sharks

Order Orectolobiformes – Carpet sharks

Family: Ginglymostomatidae

Family: Rhincodontidae – Whale sharks

Family: Stegostomatidae

Order Pristiophoriformes – Sawsharks

Family: Pristiophoridae

Order Squaliformes – Dogfish sharks

Family: Centrophoridae

Family: Dalatiidae

  • Kitefin shark, seal shark, Dalatias licha (Bonnaterre, 1788), recorded as syn. Scymnorhinus licha (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Algoa bay to Mozambique)

Family: Somniosidae

Family: Squalidae – Dogfishes

Order Squatiniformes – Angelsharks

Family: Squatinidae

Subclass Holocephali – Chimaeras

Order Chimaeriformes

Family: Callorhinchidae – Elephantfish

Family: Chimaeridae – Chimaeras

Family: Rhinochimaeridae – Longnose chimaeras

Parvphylum Osteichthyes – Bony fishes

See article List of marine bony fishes of South Africa

References