Cape Canyon and Surrounds (South Africa) - Ocean Biodiversity Information System

Cape Canyon and Surrounds (South Africa)

Statistics

Occurrence records	287,971
Species level	274,117
Species	1,428
Taxa	1,721
Datasets	81
Time range	1758 - 2025

Data quality

Dropped records

Dropped records	0
Not marine	306
No WoRMS match	793
No coordinates	0
Zero coordinates	0

Taxonomic issues

Marine unsure	167
No accepted name available	585

Missing and invalid fields

Field	Missing	Invalid
coordinateUncertaintyInMeters	285,631	19
eventDate	894	0
maximumDepthInMeters	265,838	0
minimumDepthInMeters	265,568	0
occurrenceStatus	283,619	0
scientificName	168	0
scientificNameID	1,323	20

Spatial issues

Records on land	93,598
More than 20 km from shore	0
Depth exceeds bathymetric depth	720

Top datasets

Dataset	Records
Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (AfrOBIS) Published 2020-12-02	206,551
Animal Demography Unit - South African Bird Ringing Unit (SAFRING) Published 2020-12-02	40,661
Marine and Coastal Management - Demersal Surveys (AfrOBIS) Published 2020-12-02	16,323
Marine and Coastal Management - Copepod Surveys Published 2020-12-02	12,640
Happywhale - Humpback whale in South Atlantic Ocean Published 2025-03-17	4,053
Animal Demography Unit - The Birds in Reserves Project (BIRP) Published 2020-12-02	1,522
iziko South African Museum - Fish Collection Published 2020-12-02	811
iziko South African Museum - Crustacean Collection Published 2020-12-02	710
iziko South African Museum - Shark collection Published 2020-12-02	567
Marine and Coastal Management - Seal Surveys Published 2020-12-02	556

Distribution

Disclaimer: EEZ boundaries based on Marine Regions (no endorsement).

Records

Composition

detailed (class) simple

Top taxa

Unique species IUCN Red List All taxa Unique species IUCN Red List All taxa Unique species IUCN Red List All taxa

Scientific name	Records
Thyrsites atun (Euphrasen, 1791) Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	116,983
Pachymetopon blochii (Valenciennes, 1830) Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	35,291
Morus capensis (Lichtenstein, 1823) EN Phylum Chordata > Class Aves	25,212
Rhabdosargus globiceps (Valenciennes, 1830) VU Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	20,617
Sterna bergii Lichtenstein, 1823 Phylum Chordata > Class Aves	11,728
Spondyliosoma emarginatum (Valenciennes, 1830) Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	11,153
Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788) Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	8,403
Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, 1833 Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	4,563
Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) Phylum Chordata > Class Mammalia	4,056
Haematopus moquini Bonaparte, 1856 Phylum Chordata > Class Aves	2,355

Newest species

Scientific name	Records	Since
Craniella cranium (Müller, 1776) Phylum Porifera > Class Demospongiae	1	2019
Gorgonocephalus chilensis (Philippi, 1858) Phylum Echinodermata > Class Ophiuroidea	1	2016
Ophiomyxa vivipara Studer, 1876 Phylum Echinodermata > Class Ophiuroidea	2	2016
Ophiothamnus remotus Lyman, 1878 Phylum Echinodermata > Class Ophiuroidea	10	2016
Stercorarius skua (Brünnich, 1764) Phylum Chordata > Class Aves	1	2014
Diaphus taaningi Norman, 1930 Phylum Chordata > Class Teleostei	1	2013
Ophiomyxa tenuispina Mortensen, 1933 Phylum Echinodermata > Class Ophiuroidea	1	2013
Etmopterus alphus Ebert, Straube, Leslie & Weigmann, 2016 Phylum Chordata > Class Elasmobranchii	1	2012
Calonectris diomedea (Scopoli, 1769) Phylum Chordata > Class Aves	5	2011
Puffinus gravis (O'Reilly, 1818) Phylum Chordata > Class Aves	5	2009

Data providers

Name	Records
CSIR / SADCO / AfrOBIS	279,240
Marine and Coastal Management; Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism	236,070
Marine and Coastal Management Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism	219,747
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO	42,954
University of Cape Town; Department of Zoology	42,556
Duke University	4,074
Happywhale	4,053
iziko South African Museum	2,341
AfrOBIS	1,895
British Antarctic Survey	658