Cabo Verde – Community Fisheries Data System Manual

How to Use this Guide

This resource is designed for quick and accurate identification of local marine life. The guide is based on a country’s species reference file and organized by scientific family. Each entry features four key elements:

Local Name(s): Common regional names for the species.
Scientific Name: The precise Latin binomial (Genus species). If the species is unknown, the genus or family can also be entered. If only the genus is known, type the name of the genus followed by “sp” (as opposed to “spp” or sp.”). If only the family is known, type the name of the family (i.e. Lutjanidae).
English Common Name: The widely recognized English name for the species.
Photo: A visual aid for positive identification.

Taxonomic classification organizes marine life into a nested hierarchy from broadest to most specific. Both fishes and invertebrates belong to the Domain Eukaryota and Kingdom Animalia. Fishes are primarily classified under the Phylum Chordata because they possess a backbone (as vertebrates), with most species belonging to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) or Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes). In contrast, marine invertebrates—which lack a backbone—are distributed across numerous phyla, including Mollusca (e.g., clams, squid), Arthropoda (e.g., crabs, shrimp), and Cnidaria (e.g., jellyfish, corals). This system proceeds through Order, Family (Lutjanidae), Genus (Lutjanus sp), and Species, providing a universal, standardized name for every organism, such as the Red Snapper, Lutjanus campechanus.

Anatomy & Markings

Species List

Family: Balistidae

Fambil

Scientific Name: Balistes capriscus

English Common Name: Grey triggerfish

Androtxe

Scientific Name: Balistes punctatus

English Common Name: Bluespotted triggerfish

Peixe-porco

Scientific Name: Canthidermis sufflamen

English Common Name: Ocean triggerfish

Family: Carangidae

Peixe-prata

Scientific Name: Alectis ciliaris

English Common Name: African pompano

Bonito

Scientific Name: Caranx crysos

English Common Name: Blue runner

Enforcado

Scientific Name: Caranx latus

English Common Name: Horse-eye jack

Xaréu

Scientific Name: Caranx lugubris

English Common Name: Black jack

Cavala

Scientific Name: Decapterus macarellus

English Common Name: Mackerel scad

Salmon

Scientific Name: Elagatis bipinnulata

English Common Name: Rainbow runner

Falso-bonito

Scientific Name: Pseudocaranx dentex

English Common Name: White trevally

Chicharro/ olho largo

Scientific Name: Selar crumenophthalmus

English Common Name: Bigeye scad

Esmoregal (preto)

Scientific Name: Seriola carpenteri

English Common Name: Guinean amberjack

Esmoregal

Scientific Name: Seriola dumerili

English Common Name: Greater amberjack

Sereia-pintada

Scientific Name: Trachinotus goreensis

English Common Name: Longfin pompano

Palombeta

Scientific Name: Trachinotus ovatus

English Common Name: Pompano

Carapau

Scientific Name: Trachurus trecae

English Common Name: Cunene horse mackerel

Family: Carcharhinidae

Tubarão-de-pontas-negras

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus limbatus

English Common Name: Blacktip shark

Family: Coryphaenidae

Lobo

Scientific Name: Coryphaena hippurus

English Common Name: Common dolphinfish

Family: Dorosomatidae

Arenque

Scientific Name: Sardinella maderensis

English Common Name: Madeiran sardinella

Family: Epinephelidae

Garoupa

Scientific Name: Cephalopholis taeniops

English Common Name: Bluespotted seabass

Merato

Scientific Name: Epinephelus marginatus

English Common Name: Dusky grouper

Badejo

Scientific Name: Mycteroperca fusca

English Common Name: Island grouper

Family: Exocoetidae

Voador

Scientific Name: Cheilopogon sp

English Common Name: Flyingfish

Family: Ginglymostomatidae

Tubarão-gata

Scientific Name: Ginglymostoma cirratum

English Common Name: Nurse shark

Family: Haemulidae

Papagaio

Scientific Name: Parapristipoma humile

English Common Name: Guinean grunt

Roncador-riscado

Scientific Name: Parapristipoma octolineatum

English Common Name: African striped grunt

Abroto

Scientific Name: Pomadasys rogerii

English Common Name: Pigsnout grunt

Family: Hemigaleidae

Tubarão-doninha

Scientific Name: Paragaleus pectoralis

English Common Name: Atlantic weasel shark

Family: Holocentridae

Odjita

Scientific Name: Myripristis jacobus

English Common Name: Blackbar soldierfish

Rainha

Scientific Name: Sargocentron hastatum

English Common Name: Red squirrelfish

Family: Istiophoridae

Tabala

Scientific Name: Makaira nigricans

English Common Name: Blue marlin

Family: Labridae

Corvina

Scientific Name: Bodianus scrofa

English Common Name: Barred hogfish

Bedja

Scientific Name: Bodianus speciosus

English Common Name: Blackbar hogfish

Family: Lethrinidae

Bica d’rocha

Scientific Name: Lethrinus atlanticus

English Common Name: Atlantic emperor

Family: Lutjanidae

Goraz

Scientific Name: Lutjanus sp

English Common Name: Snapper

Fatcho

Scientific Name: Apsilus fuscus

English Common Name: African forktail snapper

Family: Mugilidae

Tainha-preta

Scientific Name: Chelon bispinosus

English Common Name: Cape Verde mullet

Family: Mullidae

Rabo-amarelo

Scientific Name: Mulloidichthys martinicus

English Common Name: Yellow goatfish

Xalino

Scientific Name: Pseudupeneus prayensis

English Common Name: West African goatfish

Family: Muraenidae

Moreia-cadela

Scientific Name: Gymnothorax vicinus

English Common Name: Purplemouth moray

Moreia-pintada

Scientific Name: Muraena melanotis

English Common Name: Honeycomb moray

Moreia-cronca

Scientific Name: Muraena robusta

English Common Name: Stout moray

Family: Palinuridae

Lagosta rosa

Scientific Name: Palinurus charlestoni

English Common Name: Cape verde spiny lobster

Lagosta castanha

Scientific Name: Panulirus echinatus

English Common Name: Brown spiny lobster

Lagosta verde

Scientific Name: Panulirus regius

English Common Name: Blue crawfish

Family: Priacanthidae

Façola-de-pintas

Scientific Name: Heteropriacanthus cruentatus

English Common Name: Glasseye

Façola

Scientific Name: Priacanthus arenatus

English Common Name: Atlantic bigeye

Family: Scaridae

Campo-verde

Scientific Name: Scarus hoefleri

English Common Name: Guinean parrotfish

Bidião-capil

Scientific Name: Sparisoma choati

English Common Name: West-African Parrotfish

Bidião-comum

Scientific Name: Sparisoma cretense

English Common Name: Parrotfish

Family: Scombridae

Serra

Scientific Name: Acanthocybium solandri

English Common Name: Wahoo

Cachorreta

Scientific Name: Euthynnus alletteratus

English Common Name: Little tunny

Gaiado

Scientific Name: Katsuwonus pelamis

English Common Name: Skipjack tuna

Atum

Scientific Name: Thunnus alalunga

English Common Name: Albacore

Albacora

Scientific Name: Thunnus albacares

English Common Name: Yellowfin tuna

Family: Scorpaenidae

Charroco

Scientific Name: Scorpaena laevis

English Common Name: Senegalese rockfish

Family: Scyllaridae

Carrasco

Scientific Name: Scyllarides latus

English Common Name: Mediterranean slipper lobster

Family: Sparidae

Sargo-preto

Scientific Name: Diplodus fasciatus

English Common Name: Banded seabream

Sargo-branco

Scientific Name: Diplodus lineatus

English Common Name: White seabream

Sargo-salema

Scientific Name: Diplodus prayensis

English Common Name: Two-banded seabream

Sargo-bicudo

Scientific Name: Diplodus puntazzo

English Common Name: Sharpsnout seabream

Bica-de-fundo

Scientific Name: Pagellus erythrinus

English Common Name: Common pandora

Dobrada

Scientific Name: Spicara melanurus

English Common Name: Blackspot picarel

Benteia

Scientific Name: Virididentex acromegalus

English Common Name: Bulldog dentex

Family: Sphyraenidae

Bicuda

Scientific Name: Sphyraena viridensis

English Common Name: Yellowmouth barracuda

Family: Strombidae

Buzio

Scientific Name: Thetystrombus latus

English Common Name: West african stromb

Family: Triakidae

Cação

Scientific Name: Mustelus mustelus

English Common Name: Smooth-hound

Family: Xiphiidae

Espadarte

Scientific Name: Xiphias gladius

English Common Name: Swordfish