220 freshwater fishes occur in South Africa, of which 21 are threatened. There are more than 2 000 marine fish species, for which no information is available about threatened species. Many fish species are of economic importance. Most of the small barbels are valuable aquarium species, while the majority of the larger species are important angling species. The Tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) is well known for the vigorous fight which it gives to the angler.
South Africa's Freshwater Species List
Lungfish
Bluegill Sunfish
Bulldog
Largemouth Bass
Oxeye Tarpon
Smallmouth Bass
Longfin Eel
Spotted Bass
Shortfin Eel
Perch
African Mottled Eel
Southern Mouthbrooder
Giant Mottled Eel
Orange-Fringed River Bream
Estuarine Round Herring
Canary Kurper
Southern Kneria
Lowveld Largemouth
River Sardine
Banded Tilapia
Southern Barred Minnow
Redbreast Tilapia
Breede River Redfin
Mozambique Tilapia (Blue Kurper)
Berg River Redfin
Black Tilapia
Eastern Cape Redfin
Nile Tilapia
Smallscale Redfin
Israeli Tilapia
Fiery Redfin
Blackspot Climbing Perch
Slender Redfin
Manyspined Climbing Perch
Maloti Minnow
Eastern Cape Rocky
Chubbyhead barb
Cape Kurper
Redtail Barb
Bull Shark
Marico barb
Smalltooth Sawfish
Amatola Barb
Bald Glassy
Treur River Barb
Slender Glassy
Broadstriped Barb
Longspine Glassy
Barotose Barb
Cape Silverside
Line Spotted Barb
Flathead Mullet
Shortfin Barb
Freshwater Mullet
Sidespot Barb
Large Scale Mullet
Goldie Barb
Freshwater Pipefish
Longbeard Barb
Short Tail Pipefish
Hyphen Barb
River Bream
Bowstripe Barb
Round Moony
East Coast Barb
Oval Moony
Beira Barb
Dusky Sleeper
Threespot Barb
Broadhead Sleeper
Clanwilliam Redfin
Golden Sleeper
Twee Rivier Redfin
Freshwater Goby
Orangefin Barb
Burrowing Goby
Namaqua Barb
Tank Goby
Border Barb
River Goby
Rosefin Barb
Sibayi Goby
Straightfin Barb
Checked Goby
Papermouth
Southern Churchill
Plump Barb
Longarm Mullet
Clanwilliam Sawfin
Striped Mullet
Berg-Breede River Whitefish
Barnard's Rock Catfish
Vaal-Orange Largemouth Yellowfish
Clanwilliam Rock Catfish
Vaal-Orange Smallmouth Yellowfish
Rock Catfish
Kwazulu Natal Yellowfish
Natal Mountain Catfish
Bushveld Small Scale Yellowfish
Common (Stargazer) Mountain Catfish
Clanwilliam Yellowfish
Silver Catfish
Lowveld Large Scale Yellowfish
Sharptooth Catfish
Incomati Chiselmouth
Blunttooth Catfish
Moggel
Snake Catfish
Orange River Mudfish
Pennant Tailed Suckermouth
Tugela Labeo
Incomati Suckermouth
Clanwilliam Sandfish
Phongolo Suckermouth
Rednose Labeo
Sawfin Suckermouth
Silver Labeo
Shortspine Suckermouth
Purple Labeo
Lowveld Suckermouth
Redeye Labeo
Brown Squeaker
Leadan Labeo
Cape Galaxias
Common Carp
Brown Trout
Common Goldfish
Rainbow Trout
Grass Carp
Brook Charr
Silver Carp
Spotted Killfish
Tench
Rainbow Killfish
Imberi
Johnston's Topminnow
Striped Robber
Natal Topminnow
Silver Robber
Striped Topminnow
Tigerfish
Mosquito Fish
Swordtail
Guppy
Saltwater Species
Southern Africa, blessed with a coastline that includes two oceans, has a great diversity of saltwater fish species.
Atlantic Ocean - West Coast
The West Coast has an Atlantic Ocean coastline where the cold Benguella Current flows sluggishly northwards.The west coast offers some of the richest fishing opportunities in the world and thanks to the cold water, fishing is the primary tourist attraction all along this coast.
Indian Ocean - East Coast
The East Coast is warmed by the warm Mozambique current. Here you will find a greater variety of of fish species, which are more ornate. The warmer water means the predation levels are increased, so most of the fish species here would have evolved accordingly. This coast has a predominance of large, fast predatory fish and smaller fish which have advanced defence mechanisms.
