South Africa's prolific fishery is defined by a narrow band of the continental shelf on the eastern coast of the Indian Ocean and a more expansive wide range on the west coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
The southern tip is known for the shallow Agulhas Bank where two currents; the Bengueal and Agulhas current meet.
Studying Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) near South Africa before heading offshore gives any serious angler the deciding upper hand.
With FishTrack’s ability to overlay corresponding altimetry (sea surface height anomalies), bathymetry, ocean current imagery, and local hot spots on top of any SST or Chlorophyll layer, successfully targeting fish offshore has never been easier.
Eliminate the guess work on your next offshore fishing adventure. Go with FishTrack.
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Locations of various fish species are affected by water temperatures, time of year and availability of food. Sea surface temperature (SST) plays on integral role for targeting species in their respective seasons.
Map of the Agulhas Current system
South Africa Offshore Fishing Hot Spots
Charters run out of Saldanha Bay, Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Blues Bank, Chalk Line, and Durban.
Ideal Fishing Seasons
Sea surface temperature (SST) plays on integral role for targeting species in their respective seasons. The galjoen, coracinus capensis, is a species of marine fish that is found only along the coast of South Africa.
It keeps to mostly shallow water, and is often found in rough surf, sometimes right next to the shore and is known to every angler.
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Near rocks, the colour of the galjoen is almost completely black, while in sandy areas the colour is silver-bronze.
It is also known in KwaZulu-Natal as blackfish or black bream. The record size is over 55 cm and 7 kg, however the average is much smaller. The galjoen is a game fighter.
The diet of the galjoen consists mainly of red bait (ascidians), small mussels and barnacles.
Table of South African Fish Species
This list comprises locally used common names, scientific names with author citation and recorded ranges. Details of each species may be available through the relevant internal links.
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Osteichthyes ( ost-ee-IK-theez; from Ancient Greek ὀστέον (ostéon) 'bone' and ἰχθύς (ikhthús) 'fish'), also known as osteichthyans or commonly referred to as the bony fish, is a diverse clade of vertebrate animals that have endoskeletons primarily composed of bone tissue.
They can be contrasted with the Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) and the extinct placoderms and acanthodians, which have endoskeletons primarily composed of cartilage. The vast majority of extant fish are members of Osteichthyes, being an extremely diverse and abundant group consisting of 45 orders, over 435 families and 28,000 species. All entries in this list are included in this infraphylum of Gnathostomata.
Here's a list of some fish species found in South Africa:
- Raccoon butterflyfish or halfmoon butterflyfish, Chaetodon lunula (Lacepède, 1802) (South Africa to Hawaii, Japan and Australia.
- Doublesash butterflyfish, Chaetodon marleyi Regan, 1921 (Lamberts Bay to Maputo.
- Dusky batfish, Platax pinnatus (Linnaeus.
- Slender soapy, Deveximentum insidiator (Bloch, 1787), recorded as syn.
- Pugnose soapy, Leiognathus ruconius (Hamilton, 1822), recorded as syn.
- Old woman angelfish, Pomacanthus rhomboides (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Red Sea to Knysna) Previously known as Pomacanthus striatus Rüppell, 1836, but Rüppell's species is a synonym of P.
- Moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Africa to Mexico south to Mossel Bay) (syn.
- Sombre splitfin or silver splitfin, Verilus cynodon (Regan, 1921), reported as syn.
- Neoscombrops annectens Gilchrist, 1922 (off Natal and southern Mozambique) and as syn.
- Neobathyclupea elongata (Trunov, 1975), recorded as syn.
- African mottled eel, Anguilla labiata (Peters, 1852), recorded as syn.
- Shortfin eel or Indonesian shortfin eel, Anguilla bicolor, recorded as syn.
- Honeycomb moray or laced moray, Gymnothorax favagineus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)) or reticulated moray, reported as syn.
- Geometric moray, Gymnothorax griseus (Lacepède, 1803) (Transkei to Red Sea)(syn.
- Paintspotted moray, Gymnothorax pictus (Ahl, 1789) (Natal to Indo-Pacific)(syn.
- Zebra moray, Gymnomuraena zebra (Shaw, 1797), also reported as syn.
- Tiger reef-eel, Scuticaria tigrina (Lesson, 1828) (Natal to Southern Mozambique; Indo-Pacific)(syn.
- Slender giant moray, Strophidon sathete (Hamilton, 1822) (Bashee River to tropical Indo-Pacific)(syn.
- Snake eel, Apterichtus klazingai (Weber.
- Slender snake-eel, Ophichthus serpentinus Seale, 1917, recorded as syn.
- Slender worm-eel, Scolecenchelys gymnota (Bleeker, 1857) (Bredasdorp to Zululand, east Africa to central Pacific)(syn.
- Redfin worm-eel, Scolecenchelys laticaudata (Ogilby, 1897) (East London to Indo-Pacific)(syn.
- Orangehead worm-eel, Scolecenchelys xorae (Smith, 1958) (Algoa Bay to Natal)(syn.
- Melanolagus bericoides (Borodin, 1929), recorded as syn.
- Family: Paralepididae - Barracudinas (incl. Spotted barracudina, Arctozenus risso (Bonaparte, 1840), recorded as syn.
- Gigantura indica Brauer, 1901, recorded as syn.
- Broadbodied toadfish, Riekertia ellisi Smith, 1952 (Durban to Port St.
- Blackwing flyingfish, Cheilopogon cyanopterus (Valenciennes, 1846) (Tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
- Spotfin flyingfish, Cheilopogon furcatus (Mitchill, 1815) (offshore in all tropical seas.
- Blackfin flyingfish, Cheilopogon nigricans (Bennett, 1840) (Tropical eastern Atlantic to Indo-West Pacific.
- Shortfin flyingfish, Prognichthys brevipinnis (Valenciennes, 1846) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific, recorded from Lake St.
- Shortnose flyingfish, Prognichthys sealei (Abe, 1955) (Tropical Indo-West Pacific; one adolescent off Cape St.
- Ribbon halfbeak, Euleptorhamphus viridis (van Hasselt, 1823) (reported from Table Bay, also known from Algoa bay and Kei river Mouth.
- Spotted halfbeak, Hemiramphus far (Forsskål, 1775) (Knysna to Delagoa Bay.
- Velvet whalefish, Barbourisia rufa Parr, 1954 (occasionally trawled off West Coast.
- Cetichthys indagator (Rofen, 1959), recorded as syn.
- Mimic blenny or false cleanerfish, Aspidontus taeniatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1834 (Red Sea south to Durban) (syn.
- Picture rockskipper, Blenniella gibbifrons (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824), recorded as syn.
- Bullethead rockskipper, Blenniella periophthalmus (Valenciennes, 1836), recorded as syn.
- Impspringer, Istiblennius bellus (Günther, 1861) recorded as syn.
- Fleet klipfish, Climacoporus navalis Barnard, 1935 (Still Bay to Port St. Johns.
- Clinus arborescens Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908, previously reported as C.
- Ornate klipfish, Clinus ornatus Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908, (TMNP MPA), also previously recorded in C.
- Super klipfish or highfin klipfish, Clinus superciliosus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Namibia (18°59'S) to Kei River) now recognised as a complex containing C. superciliosus, C. ornatus, C. arborescens, C. musaicus and C.
- Bearded klipfish, Pavoclinus mentalis (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1908) (Algoa Bay to St.
- Rough-head triplefin, Norfolkia brachylepis (Schultz, 1960) recorded as syn.
- Indian threadfin, Leptomelanosoma indicum (Shaw, 1804), recorded as syn.
- Blacktip kingfish or blacktip trevally, Caranx heberi (Bennett, 1830), also reported as syn.
- Black kingfish, Caranx lugubris Poey, 1860 (Circumtropical.
- Golden kingfish or golden trevally, Gnathanodon speciosus (Forsskål, 1775), also recorded as syn.
- Giant yellowtail or yellowtail amberjack, Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, 1833 (Most common on Atlantic Cape waters, but follows the pilchard migration to Transkei and Natal.
- Longfin yellowtail, Seriola rivoliana Valenciennes, 1833 (Knysna northward.
- Black marlin, Istiompax indica (Cuvier, 1832), recorded as syn.
- White marlin, Kajikia albida (Poey, 1860), recorded as syn.
- Striped marlin, Kajikia audax (Philippi, 1887), recorded as syn.
- Blackspotted hawkfish, Cristacirrhitus punctatus (Cuvier, 1829), recorded as syn.
- Galjoen, Dichistius capensis (Cuvier, 1831) (Southern Angola to Sodwana Bay) (syn.
- Banded galjoen, Dichistius multifasciatus (Pellegrin, 1914) (Port Alfred to Mozambique) (Still Bay to Madagascar) (syn.
- East coast roundherring or red-eye round herring, Etrumeus sadina (Mitchill, 1814), recorded as syn.
- Buccaneer anchovy, Encrasicholina punctifer Fowler, 1938, recorded as syn.
- Smallscale pursemouth, Gerres longirostris (Lacepède, 1801) (Port Elizabeth to Mozambique)(syn.
- Evenfin pursemouth or striped silverbiddy, Gerres methueni Regan, 1920, recorded as syn.
- Whitebarred rubberlip, Plectorhinchus playfairi (Pellegrin, 1914) (Western Indian Ocean to Port St.
- Minstrel, Plectorhinchus schotaf (Forsskål, 1775) (Indo-West Pacific south to Port St.
- African coris, Coris cuvieri (Bennett, 1831), recorded as syn.
- Bubblefin wrasse, Halichoeres nigrescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), recorded as syn.
- Seagrass wrasse, Novaculoides macrolepidotus (Bloch, 1791), recorded as syn.
- Two-spot wrasse, Oxycheilinus bimaculatus (Valenciennes, 1840), recorded as syn.
- Peacock wrasse, Iniistius pavo (Valenciennes, 1840), recorded as syn.
- Fivefinger wrasse, Iniistius pentadactylus (Linnaeus, 1758), recorded as syn.
- Rippled barenose, Gymnocranius grandoculis (Valenciennes, 1830), recorded as syn.
- Longnose emperor, Lethrinus microdon Valenciennes, 1830, recorded as syn.
- Snubnose emperor, Lethrinus lentjan (Lacepède, 1802), recorded as syn.
- Orange striped emperor, Lethrinus obsoletus (Forsskål, 1775), recorded as syn.
- Cutthroat emperor, Lethrinus mahsena (Forsskål, 1775), recorded as syn.
- Stripetail filefish, Malacanthus brevirostris Guichenot, 1848 (Tropical Indo-Pacific south to Sodwana Bay.
- Bulleye or glass bigeye, Heteropriacanthus cruentatus (Lacepède, 1801), also recorded as syn.
- Blue moon parrotfish, Chlorurus atrilunula (Randall & Bruce, 1983), recorded as syn.
- Blue humphead parrotfish, Chlorurus cyanescens (Valenciennes, 1840) (Mauritius, Madagascar, Zanzibar and Natal to 30°S)(syn.
- Bullethead parrotfish, Chlorurus sordidus (Forsskål, 1775), recorded as syn.
- Eclipse parrotfish, Scarus russelii (Tropical and subtropical Indian Ocean from India westwards but not Persian Gulf or Red Sea.
- Bellfish or small kob, Johnius amblycephalus (Bleeker, 1855), also recorded as syn.
- Clubfoot sillago, Sillaginopodys chondropus (Bleeker, 1849), recorded as syn.
- Blacktail, Diplodus capensis (Smith, 1844) (Angola to Madagascar)(syn.
- Zebra, Diplodus hottentotus (Smith, 1844) recorded as syn.
- Red tjor-tjor or sand soldier, Pagellus natalensis Steindachner, 1903 (Mossel Bay to Madagascar)(syn.
- Bathygadus melanobranchus Vaillant, 1888 (Table Bay and Natal coast.
- Bathygadus sp. (cf.
- Coelorinchus flabellispinis (Alcock, 1894) (Indian Ocean.
- Mahia whiptail, Coelorinchus matamua (McCann & McKnight, 1980) (apparently abundant off South Africa, also found off New Zealand and southern Australia) (syn.
- Abyssal grenadier, Coryphaenoides armatus (Hector, 1875) (abyssal, all oceans except Arctic.
- Kuronezumia leonis (Barnard, 1925), recorded as syn.
- Lucigadus ori (Smith, 1968), recorded as syn.
- Mesovagus antipodum (Hubbs & Iwamoto, 1977), recorded as syn.
- Ventrifossa aff.
- Guttigadus globiceps (Gilchrist, 1906), recorded as syn.
- Blackspot sleeper, Butis melanostigma (Bleeker, 1849) (Port St Johns.
- Golden sleeper, Hypseleotris cyprinoides (Valenciennes, 1837), recorded as syn, Hypseleotris dayi Smith, 1950 (Fresh and brackish water, St.
- Comb goby, Paratrypauchen microcephalus (Bleeker, 1860), recorded as syn.
- Shadow goby, Acentrogobius nebulosus (Forsskål, 1775), recorded as syn.
- Yongeichthys nebulosus (Forsskål, 1775).
- Whitespotted goby, Bathygobius coalitus (Bennett, 1832), recorded as syn.
- Brownlined goby, Bathygobius sp.
- Prison goby, Caffrogobius gilchristi (Boulenger, 1898), also recorded as syn.
- Kaalpens goby, Coryogalops william (Smith, 1948), also recorded as syn.
- Sailfin goby, Myersina pretoriusi (Smith, 1958), recorded as syn.
- Sleepy goby, Psammogobius biocellatus (Valenciennes, 1837), recorded as syn.
- Tank goby, Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton, 1822) (Indo-West Pacific south to Port St.
- Pleurosicya sp.
- Sodwana goby, Priolepis sp.
- Weeper, Gnatholepis sp.
- Slender weeper, Gnatholepis sp.
- Meander goby, Mugilogobius mertoni (Weber, 1911), recorded as syn.
- Kei goby, Oxyurichthys keiensis (Smith, 1938), recorded as syn.
- African mudhopper or common mudskipper, Periophthalmus kalolo Lesson, 1831, also recorded as syn.
- Bigfin mudhopper or barred mudskipper, Periophthalmus argentilineatus Valenciennes, 1837, also recorded as syn.
- Pale soldier, Myripristis botche Cuvier, 1829, recorded as sym.
- Sad cardinal, Apogonichthyoides timorensis (Bleeker, 1854), recorded as syn.
- Tiger cardinal, Cheilodipterus macrodon (Lacepède, 1802), recorded as syn.
- Masked cardinal, Fibramia thermalis (Cuvier, 1829), recorded as syn.
- Spotfin cardinal, Jaydia queketti (Gilchrist, 1903), recorded as syn.
- Smallscale cardinal, Lepidamia multitaeniata (Cuvier, 1828), recorded as syn.
- Broadstriped cardinal, Ostorhinchus angustatus (Smith & Radcliffe, 1911), recorded as syn.
- Diamond cardinal or short tooth cardinal, Ostorhinchus apogonoides (Bleeker, 1856), recorded as syn.
- Apogon apogonides (Bleeker, 1856) (Indo-Pacific south to Durban) and as syn.
- Bandtail cardinal oe ring-tailed cardinalfish, Ostorhinchus aureus (Lacepède, 1802), recorded as syn.
- Blackbanded cardinal, Ostorhinchus cookii (MacLeay, 1881), recorded as syn.
- Coachwhip cardinal, Ostorhinchus flagelliferus Smith, 1961, recorded as syn.
- Blackfoot cardinal, Ostorhinchus nigripes (Playfair, 1867), recorded as syn.
- Apogon nigripes Playfair, 1867 (Lake St.
- Ninestripe cardinal, Ostorhinchus taeniophorus (Regan, 1908), recorded as syn.
- Spurcheek cardinal, Pristiapogon fraenatus (Valenciennes, 1832), recorded as syn.
- Spinyhead cardinal, Pristiapogon kallopterus (Bleeker, 1856), recorded as syn.
- Mozambique cardinal, Taeniamia mozambiquensis (Smith, 1961), recorded as syn.
- Freckled angler, Antennatus coccineus (Lesson, 1831), recorded as syn.
- Pygmy angler, Antennatus tuberosus (Cuvier, 1817), recorded as syn.
- Ceratias tentaculatus (Norman, 1930) (Specimens from off Dealagoa bay, off southern Natal, off Saldanha bay.
- Linophryne lucifer Collett, 1886, recorded as syn.
- Monk, Lophius vomerinus (Valenciennes, 1837), also recorded as syn.
- Spiny seabat, Halieutaea indica Annandale & Jenkins, 1910, recorded as syn.
- Solocisquama stellulata (Gilbert, 1905), recorded as syn.
- Groovy mullet, Chelon dumerili (Steindachner, 1870), recorded as syn.
- Southern mullet, Chelon richardsonii (Smith, 1846), recorded as syn.
- Liza richardsonii (Smith, 1846) (Kunene River to St.
- Striped mullet, Chelon tricuspidens (Smith, 1935), recorded as syn.
- Bluetail mullet, Crenimugil buchanani (Bleeker, 1853), recorded as syn.
- Bluespot mullet, Crenimugil seheli (Fabricius, 1775), recorded as syn.
- Squaretail mullet, Ellochelon vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825), recorded as syn.
- Longarm mullet, Osteomugil cunnesius (Valenciennes, 1836), recorded as syn.
- Diamond mullet, Planiliza alata (Steindachner, 1892), recorded as syn.
- Large-scale mullet, Planiliza macrolepis (Smith, 1846), recorded as syn.
- St.
- Lucia mullet or giantscale mullet or otomebora mullet, Planiliza melinoptera (Valenciennes, 1836) recorded as syn.
- Liza luciae (Penrith & Penrith, 1967), and as syn.
- Freshwater mullet, Pseudomyxus capensis (Valenciennes, 1836), recorded as syn.
- Yellowstripe goatfish, Mulloidichthys flavolineatus (Lacepède, 1801) (Red Sea to Knysna)(syn.
- Flame goatfish or yellowfin goatfish, Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (Valenciennes, 1831) (Northern KwaZulu-Natal to Indo-West Pacific)(syn.
- Redspot goatfish, Parupeneus heptacanthus (Lacepède, 1802), recorded as syn.
- Two-saddle goatfish, Parupeneus trifasciatus (Lacepède, 1801), recorded as syn.
- Bright lanternfish, Ctenoscopelus phengodes (Lütken, 1892), recorded as syn.
- Dasyscopelus asper (Richardson, 1845), recorded as syn.
- Dasyscopelus obtusirostris (Tåning, 1928), recorded as syn.
- Wisner's lanternfish, Dasyscopelus selenops (Tåning, 1928), recorded as syn.
- Spiny lanternfish, Dasyscopelus spinosus (Steindachner, 1867), recorded as syn.
- Crown lanternfish.
- Spotlight lanternfish, Diaphus lucidus (Goode and Bean, 1896) (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets.
- Luetken's lanternfish, Diaphus luetkeni (Brauer, 1904) (In Agulhas current to 37°S.
- Mead's lanternfish, Diaphus meadi Nafpaktitis, 1978 (In upwelled waters off west coast northwards to at least 21°S.
- Spothead lantern fish, Diaphus metopoclampus Cocco, 1829 South of 29°S off west coast and 27°S off east coast.
- Transparent lanternfish, Diaphus perspicillatus (Ogilby,1898) (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets.
- Problematic lanternfish, Diaphus problematicus Parr, 1928 (In Agulhas current and off west coast in Agulhas water pockets.
- Slopewater lanternfish, Diaphus taaningi Norman, 1930 (over west coast.
Galjoen
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Concentrations of bait and gamefish will often occur where temperature and chlorophyll breaks are found in proximity to submarine contour changes around ledges, banks, canyons and seamounts.
Pelagic species including Tuna, Marlin, Sailfish, Wahoo, and Mahi, can be found in various ranges of water temperatures, gravitating to temperature breaks where bodies of cooler water meet warmer water which creates conditions of upwelling to start the marine food chain.
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