There are so many Freshwater Species available in South Africa and it is important to get do your planning well for whichever species of fish you may be targeting. There are so many Freshwater Species that it will be difficult to catch all of them in one lifetime. These fish are also found all over the country and planned trips are needed to catch some of these species. Build your list of species and you’ll have bragging rights around the camp fire. Big catches are always impressive and with a large species count you will have one over other anglers.
The Fish Species of South Africa
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
- Bulldog
- Oxeye Tarpon
- Longfin Eel
- Shortfin Eel
- African Mottled Eel
- Giant Mottled Eel
- Estuarine Round Herring
- Southern Kneria
- River Sardine
- Southern Barred Minnow
- Breede River Redfin
- Berg River Redfin
- Eastern Cape Redfin
- Smallscale Redfin
- Fiery Redfin
- Slender Redfin
- Maloti Minnow
- Chubbyhead barb
- Redtail Barb
- Marico barb
- Amatola Barb
- Treur River Barb
- Broadstriped Barb
- Barotose Barb
- Line Spotted Barb
- Shortfin Barb
- Sidespot Barb
- Goldie Barb
- Longbeard Barb
- Hyphen Barb
- Bowstripe Barb
- East Coast Barb
- Beira Barb
- Threespot Barb
- Clanwilliam Redfin
- Twee Rivier Redfin
- Orangefin Barb
- Namaqua Barb
- Border Barb
- Rosefin Barb
- Straightfin Barb
- Papermouth
- Plump Barb
- Clanwilliam Sawfin
- Berg-Breede River Whitefish
- Vaal-Orange Largemouth Yellowfish
- Vaal-Orange Smallmouth Yellowfish
- Kwazulu Natal Yellowfish
- Bushveld Small Scale Yellowfish
- Clanwilliam Yellowfish
- Lowveld Large Scale Yellowfish
- Incomati Chiselmouth
- Moggel
- Orange River Mudfish
- Tugela Labeo
- Clanwilliam Sandfish
- Rednose Labeo
- Silver Labeo
- Purple Labeo
- Redeye Labeo
- Leadan Labeo
- Common Carp
- Common Goldfish
- Grass Carp
- Silver Carp
- Tench
- Imberi
- Striped Robber
- Silver Robber
- Tigerfish
- Swordtail
- Bluegill Sunfish
- Largemouth Bass
- Smallmouth Bass
- Spotted Bass
- Perch
- Southern Mouthbrooder
- Orange-Fringed River Bream
- Canary Kurper
- Lowveld Largemouth
- Banded Tilapia
- Redbreast Tilapia
- Mozambique Tilapia (Blue Kurper)
- Black Tilapia
- Nile Tilapia
- Israeli Tilapia
- Blackspot Climbing Perch
- Manyspined Climbing Perch
- Eastern Cape Rocky
- Cape Kurper
- Bull Shark
- Smalltooth Sawfish
- Bald Glassy
- Slender Glassy
- Longspine Glassy
- Cape Silverside
- Flathead Mullet
- Freshwater Mullet
- Large Scale Mullet
- Freshwater Pipefish
- Short Tail Pipefish
- River Bream
- Round Moony
- Oval Moony
- Dusky Sleeper
- Broadhead Sleeper
- Golden Sleeper
- Freshwater Goby
- Burrowing Goby
- Tank Goby
- River Goby
- Sibayi Goby
- Checked Goby
- Southern Churchill
- Longarm Mullet
- Striped Mullet
- Barnard's Rock Catfish
- Clanwilliam Rock Catfish
- Rock Catfish
- Natal Mountain Catfish
- Common (Stargazer) Mountain Catfish
- Silver Catfish
- Sharptooth Catfish
- Blunttooth Catfish
- Snake Catfish
- Pennant Tailed Suckermouth
- Incomati Suckermouth
- Phongolo Suckermouth
- Sawfin Suckermouth
- Shortspine Suckermouth
- Lowveld Suckermouth
- Brown Squeaker
- Cape Galaxias
- Brown Trout
- Rainbow Trout
- Brook Charr
- Spotted Killfish
- Rainbow Killfish
- Johnston's Topminnow
- Natal Topminnow
- Striped Topminnow
- Mosquito Fish
- Guppy