Recreational Fish Species List

Fish illustration, Minimum size, Bag limits

AnchoviesFamily EngrauilidaeMinimum size – noneBag limit - none

Baardman (bellman, tasselfish)Umbrina spp.Minimum size – 40 cmBag limit - 5

Banded galjoenDichistius multifasciatusMinimum size – noneBag limit - 5

Bank steenbrasChirodactylus grandisMinimum size – noneBag limit - 5

BillfishesFamily IstiophoridaeMinimum size – noneBag limit - 5

Black marlin Blue marlin

Sailfish

Blacktail ( dassie)Diplodus sargus capensisMinimum size - 20 cmBag limit - 5

Blue hottentotPachymetopon aeneumMinimum size - noneBag limit - 5

Bronze bream (bluefish)Pachymetopon grandeMinimum size – 30 cmBag limit - 2

Cape knifejawOplegnathus conwayiMinimum size – noneBag limit - 5

Cape stumpnoseRhabdosargus holubiMinimum size – 20 cmBag limit - 5

Carpenter (silverfish)Argyrozona argyrozonaMinimum size – 35 cmBag limit - 4

Catface rockcodEpinephelus andersoniMinimum size – 50 cmBag limit - 5

Chub mackerelScomber japonicusMinimum size – noneBag limit - none

Cutlassfish (wella wella)Trichiurus lepturusMinimum size – noneBag limit - none

DageraadChrysoblephus cristicepsMinimum size – 40 cmBag limit - 1

DanePorcostoma dentataMinimum size – noneBag limit - 5

Elf (shad)Pomatomus saltatrixMinimum size – 30 cmBag limit - 4

EnglishmanChrysoblephus anglicusMinimum size – 40 cmBag limit - 1

Fransmadam (Karel groot oog)Boopsoidea inornataMinimum size - noneBag limit - 10

GaljoenDichistius capensisMinimum size - 35 cmBag limit - 2

GarfishesFamily BelonidaeMinimum size - noneBag limit - none

Garrick (leervis)Lichia amiaMinimum size - 70 cmBag limit - 2

Geelbek (Cape salmon)Atractoscion aequidensMinimum size - 60 cmBag limit - 2

GlassiesFamily AmbassidaeMinimum size - noneBag limit - none

Hake (stokvis)Merluccius spp.Minimum size - noneBag limit - 5

HalfbeaksFamily HemiramphidaeMinimum size - noneBag limit - none

Horse mackerel (maasbanker)Trachurus trachurus capensisMinimum size - noneBag limit - none

HottentotPachymetopon blochiiMinimum size – 22 cmBag limit - 10

John BrownGymnocrotaphus curvidensMinimum size – noneBag limit - 5

KingfishesCaranx spp. and Carangoides spp.Minimum size – noneBag limit - 5

Bigeye kingfish Blacktip kingfish

Blue kingfish

Bluefin kingfish

Brassy kingfishGiant kingfish

Yellowspotted kingfish

KingklipGenypterus capensisMinimum size - noneBag limit - 1

King mackerelScomberomorus commersonMinimum size - noneBag limit - 10

Kob caught from a boat at sea[Cape Agulhas to Umtamvuna River]Argyrosomus spp.Minimum size – 50 cmBag limit – 5 but may only land or be in possession of one kob > 110 cm per day

Dusky Kob

Snapper KobSquaretail Kob

Silver Kob

Kob caught from a boat at sea[The province of KwaZulu Natal]Argyrosomus spp.Minimum size – 40 cmBag limit – 5 but may only land or be in possession of one kob > 110 cm per day

Dusky Kob

Snapper KobSquaretail Kob

Silver Kob

Kob caught in estuaries & from the shore[East of Cape Agulhas only]Argyrosomus spp.Minimum size – 60 cmBag limit – 1

Dusky Kob

Snapper KobSquaretail Kob

Silver Kob

Kob[West of Cape Agulhas only]Argyrosomus spp.Minimum size – 50 cmBag limit – 5

Dusky Kob

Snapper KobSquaretail Kob

Silver Kob

Large-spot pompanoTrachinotus botlaMinimum size - noneBag limit - 5

Leopard cat sharkPoroderma pantherinumMinimum size - noneBag limit - 1

Mullets/hardersFamily MuglildaeMinimum size – noneBag limit – 50

Bluetail mullet

Southern mullet

Longarm mulletFlathead mullet

Large-scale mulletFringellip mullet

Natal knifejaw (cuckoo bass)Oplegnathus robinsoniMinimum size - noneBag limit - 5

Natal stumpnose (yellowfin bream)Rhabdosargus serbaMinimum size - 25 cmBag limit - 5

Pinky (piggy)Pomadasys olivaceumMinimum size – 7.5 cmBag limit - 10

Poenskop (black musselcracker)Cymatoceps nasutusMinimum size – 50 cmBag limit - 1

Queen mackerelScomberomorus plurilineatusMinimum size - noneBag limit - 10

Ragged tooth sharkCarcharias taurusMinimum size - noneBag limit - 1

Red stumpnose (Miss Lucy)Chrysoblephus gibbicepsMinimum size - 30 cmBag limit - 1

River bream (perch)Acanthopagrus berdaMinimum size - 25 cmBag limit - 5

River snapper (rock salmon)Lutjanus argentimaculatusMinimum size - 40 cmBag limit - 5

RomanChrysoblephus laticepsMinimum size - 30 cmBag limit - 2

Santer (soldier)Cheimerius nufarMinimum size - 30 cmBag limit - 5

Sardines (plichard & red-eye)Family ClupeidaeMinimum size - noneBag limit - none

SauriesFamily ScomberesocidaeMinimum size - noneBag limit - none

ScadsDecapterus spp.Minimum size - noneBag limit - none

ScotsmanPolysteganus praeorbitalisMinimum size - 40 cmBag limit - 1

SlingerChrysoblephus puniceusMinimum size - 25 cmBag limit - 5

Snoek (Cape snoek)Thyrsites atunMinimum size - 60 cmBag limit - 10

Southern pompanoTrachinotus africanusMinimum size - noneBag limit - 5

Spotted grunter (tiger)Pomadasys commersonniiMinimum size – 40 cmBag limit - 5

Spotted gulley sharkTriakis megalopterusMinimum size – noneBag limit - 1

Springer (ten pounder)Elops machnataMinimum size – noneBag limit - 5

SteentjieSpondyliosoma emarginatumMinimum size - noneBag limit - 10

Stonebream Neoscorpis lithophilusMinimum size - noneBag limit - 5

Strepie (karanteen)Sarpa salpaMinimum size - 15 cmBag limit - 10

Striped cat sharkPoroderma africanumMinimum size - noneBag limit - 1

Swordfish (broadbill)Xiphias galdiumMinimum size – 25 kgBag limit - 5

Squid (Chokka)Loligo vulgarus reynaudiiMinimum size - noneBag limit - 20

Albacore (longfin tuna)Thunnus alalungaMinimum size - noneBag limit - 10

Bigeye tunaThunnus obesusMinimum size – 3.2 kgBag limit - 10

Bluefin tunaThunnus thynnusMinimum size – 6.4 kgBag limit - 10

Yellowfin tunaThunnus albacaresMinimum size – 3.2 kgBag limit - 10

West coast steenbrasLithognathus auretiMinimum size - 60 cmBag limit - 1

White edged (Captain Fine) rockcodEpinephelus albomarginatusMinimum size - 40 cmBag limit - 5

White musselcracker (brusher, cracker) Sparodon durbanesisMinimum size - 60 cmBag limit - 2

White steenbras (pignose grunter)Lithognathus lithognathusMinimum size - 60 cmBag limit - 1

White stumpnoseRhabdosargus globicebsMinimum size - 25 cmBag limit - 10

WolfherringChirocentrus dorabMinimum size - noneBag limit - none

Yellowbelly rockcodEpinephelus marginatusMinimum size – 60 cmBag limit - 1

YellowtailSeriola lalandiMinimum size – noneBag limit - 10

Zebra (wildeperd)Diplodus cervinus hottentotusMinimum size - 30 cmBag limit - 5