Genypterus capensis (Smith, 1847)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Genypterus capensis, commonly known as kingklip, is a species of cusk eel occurring along the Southern African coast from Walvis Bay in Namibia to Algoa Bay in South Africa. It is closely related to Genypterus blacodes from New Zealand. The species grows to a maximum length of 180 cm (71 in) and a weight of 15 kg (33 lb). It is one of the most popular fish items on South African menus. Despite appearances, it is not closely related to the eels of the order Anguilliformes. Kingklip occur at depths of 50–500 m (160–1,640 ft), but usually in the range of 250–350 m (820–1,150 ft). They are bottom-dwelling and inhabit rocky localities on the shelf and upper continental slope. Juveniles are more often found in shallow waters. They feed on dragonets, mantis shrimps, hake, squid, and various fish species. Spawning usually takes place from August to October. The species is oviparous, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass. Their dorsal soft rays number 150, while the anal soft rays number 110.
Wikipedia contributors, Kingklip; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T22:35:52.859256+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Genypterus capensis (Smith, 1847)
- Name authority
- (Smith, 1847)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Ophidiiformes
- Family
- Ophidiidae
- Genus
- Genypterus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderOphidiiformes
- familyOphidiidae Rafinesque, 1810
- subfamilyOphidiinae Rafinesque, 1810
- genusGenypterus Philippi, 1857
- speciesGenypterus capensis (Smith, 1847)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Genypterus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Genypterus brasiliensis Regan, 1903 | OphidiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Genypterus elongatus Schwarzhans, 1980 | OphidiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
| pink cusk-eelGenypterus blacodes (Forster, 1801) | OphidiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Genypterus chilensis (Guichenot, 1848) | OphidiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Genypterus maculatus (Tschudi, 1846) | OphidiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Genypterus tigerinus Klunzinger, 1872 | OphidiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Xiphiurus capensis Smith, 1847 Smith, 1847 | synonym |
| Hoplophycis lalandi Kaup, 1858 Kaup, 1858 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=217800 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6KC6R. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.