# Red steenbras

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Species of fish

Red steenbras Conservation status Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Acanthuriformes Family: Sparidae Genus: Petrus Smith, 1938 Species: P. rupestris Binomial name Petrus rupestris (Valenciennes, 1830) Synonyms[2] Dentex rupestris Valenciennes, 1830 Dentex brevis Kner, 1865

The **red steenbras** (***Petrus rupestris***) is a [species](/source/Species) of fish in the family [Sparidae](/source/Sparidae) and the only known member of the [monospecific genus](/source/Monospecific_genus) ***Petrus***. This species is [endemic](/source/Endemism) to South Africa. The species' population has been depleted by [overfishing](/source/Overfishing) in African waters and it has been classified as an endangered species by the [International Union for Conservation of Nature](/source/International_Union_for_Conservation_of_Nature).

## Taxonomy

The red steenbras was first formally [described](/source/Species_description) in 1830 as *Dentex rupestris* by the French [zoologist](/source/Zoologist) [Achille Valenciennes](/source/Achille_Valenciennes) in *[Histoire naturelle des poissons](/source/Histoire_naturelle_des_poissons)* which he wrote with [Georges Cuvier](/source/Georges_Cuvier). The [type locality](/source/Type_locality_(biology)) was given as the [Cape of Good Hope](/source/Cape_of_Good_Hope).[3] In 1938 the South African [ichthyologist](/source/Ichthyologist) [James Leonard Brierley Smith](/source/James_Leonard_Brierley_Smith) places *D. rupestris* in a new [monospecific genus](/source/Monospecific_genus), *Petrus*.[4] This taxon is placed in the family Sparidae within the [order](/source/Order_(biology)) [Spariformes](/source/Spariformes) by the 5th edition of *[Fishes of the World](/source/Fishes_of_the_World)*.[5] Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Denticinae,[6] but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae.[5]

## Etymology

The red steenbras has the generic name *Petrus* which comes from the [Greek](/source/Greek_language) *petra*, meaning "rock", and is thought to be a reference to the rocky habitat preferred by this species. The [specific name](/source/Specific_name_(zoology)) is *rupestris*, which means "dweller in rocks", again an allusion to this species rock habitat.[7]

## Description

The red steenbras has scales on the head that extend past the level of the eyes. The limbs of the [gill rakers](/source/Gill_rakers) are both short. The bases of the soft rayed parted of the dorsal and anal fins are densely scaled. The [dorsal fin](/source/Dorsal_fin) is supported by 10 spines and 10 or 11 soft rays while the [anal fin](/source/Anal_fin) has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The body is elongate, compressed and moderately elongate and has a depth that first into its [standard length](/source/Standard_length) 2.5 to 3 times. The dorsal profile of the head is almost straight between the snout and the origin of the dorsal fin in juveniles, becoming slightly convex as the fish grows. The front of the upper jaw has 4 robust [canine](/source/Canine_(tooth))-like teeth while there are between 4 and 6 similar teeth on the front of the lower jaw, on each jaw there is a band of fine teeth behind the canine-like teeth.[8] The overall colour reddish, bronzy or golden-yellow with the young fish having a blotch to the rear of the dorsal fin. This is the largest species in the family Sparidae with a maximum [total length](/source/Total_length) of 200 cm (79 in), although 100 cm (39 in) is more typical, and a maximum published weight of 80 kg (180 lb).[2]

## Distribution and habitat

The red steenbras is endemic to South Africa where it occurs from [Table Bay](/source/Table_Bay) in the [Western Cape](/source/Western_Cape) to [St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal](/source/St_Lucia%2C_KwaZulu-Natal). It is found at depths between 5 and 150 m (16 and 492 ft), with the adults found on offshore rocky reefs at depths greater than 50 m (160 ft) while the juveniles are found in shallower reefs.[1]

## Biology

The red steenbras is a carnivore which feeds on octopuses, crabs and fishes,[8] especially *[Spondyliosoma emarginatum](/source/Spondyliosoma_emarginatum)*.[2] This fish is a late maturing [gonochorist](/source/Gonochorist), and is regarded as a rudimentary hermaphrodite, in that uit has both male and female reproductive tissue. It reaches sexual maturity at 7.2 years old and at an average total length of 63 cm (25 in) in both males and females. The [spawning](/source/Spawning) season runs from August to October. SPawing seems to be confined to an area of sea between [East London](/source/East_London%2C_South_Africa) and southern KwaZulu-Natal and also on the offshore [Agulhas Bank](/source/Agulhas_Bank). They form spawning aggregations and the females have large ovaries which suggest that they are very fecund.[1]

## Fisheries and conservation

The red steenbras was an important recreational and commercial fisheries target in South Africa but in 2012 a moratorium was placed on its fishing. It is a long lived and slowing maturing fish that undertake a northwards migration to off the [Eastern Cape](/source/Eastern_Cape) to spawn. Here they were historically fished for by both recreational and commercial line fishermen. The life history traits shown by this species make it highly vulnerable to overfishing and make the recovery of the population very difficult. Illegal fishing, particularly targeting spawning schools, continues to pose a serious threat to this species and hold back the recovery of its population.[9] As the red steenbras is a long-lived, slow growing and late maturing species that has been overfished in the past and there has been no indication that the stock has recovered the International Union for Conservation of Nature have classified it as [Endangered](/source/Endangered_species) and state that it almost reaches the threshold of being classified as [Critically Endangered](/source/Critically_Endangered), calling for research into the true status of the population and to measure the effectiveness of the moratorium on fishing.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-iucn_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-iucn_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-iucn_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-iucn_1-3) Mann, B.Q.; Kerwath, S.E. (2025). ["*Petrus rupestris*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/170247/263072015). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2025** e.T170247A263072015. Retrieved 10 October 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Fishbase_2-2) [Froese, Rainer](/source/Rainer_Froese); [Pauly, Daniel](/source/Daniel_Pauly) (eds.). ["*Petrus rupestris*"](https://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?genusname=Petrus&speciesname=rupestris). *[FishBase](/source/FishBase)*. October 2023 version.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CofF_3-0)** Fricke, Ron; [Eschmeyer, William N.](/source/William_N._Eschmeyer) & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). ["Species in the genus *Petrus*"](http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp?tbl=species&genus=Petrus). *[Catalog of Fishes](/source/Catalog_of_Fishes)*. [California Academy of Sciences](/source/California_Academy_of_Sciences). Retrieved 10 February 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CofF2_4-0)** Fricke, Ron; [Eschmeyer, William N.](/source/William_N._Eschmeyer) & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). ["Genera in the family Sparidae"](http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp?tbl=genus&family=Sparidae). *[Catalog of Fishes](/source/Catalog_of_Fishes)*. [California Academy of Sciences](/source/California_Academy_of_Sciences). Retrieved 10 February 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Nelson5_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Nelson5_5-1) Nelson, Joseph S.; Grande, Terry C.; Wilson, Mark V. H. (2016). [*Fishes of the World*](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=E-MLDAAAQBAJ&pg=PP1) (5th ed.). Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons. pp. 502–506. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/9781119174844](https://doi.org/10.1002%2F9781119174844). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-118-34233-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-118-34233-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Parenti_6-0)** Parenti, P. (2019). ["An annotated checklist of the fishes of the family Sparidae"](https://fishtaxa.com/menuscript/index.php/ft/article/view/49/52). *FishTaxa*. **4** (2): 47–98.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ETYFish_7-0)** Christopher Scharpf (12 January 2024). ["Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 6): Families GERREIDAE, LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE"](https://etyfish.org/acanthuriformes6/). *The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database*. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 10 February 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-WIOF_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-WIOF_8-1) Yukio Iwatsuki and Phillip C Heemstra (2022). "Family Sparidae". In [Phillip C Heemstra](/source/Phil_Heemstra); Elaine Heemstra; David A Ebert; Wouter Holleman; and [John E Randall](/source/John_Ernest_Randall) (eds.). [*Coastal Fishes of the Western Indian Ocean*](https://saiab.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1._wiof_volume_3_text.pdf) (PDF). Vol. 3. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. pp. 284–315. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-990951-32-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-990951-32-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SANBI_9-0)** ["*Petrus rupestris* Valenciennes, 1830"](http://speciesstatus.sanbi.org/assessment/last-assessment/2951/). *Red List of South African Species*. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 10 February 2024.

- G.D.Johnson, A.C.Gill, J.R.Paxton & W.N. Eschmeyer, ed. 1998. *Encyclopedia of Fishes*. San Diego: Academic Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-12-547665-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-12-547665-5).

- C.Michael Hogan. 2010. [*Overfishing*. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment](http://www.eoearth.org/article/Overfishing). eds. Sidney Draggan and Cutler Cleveland. Washington DC.

## External links

- [*Petrus rupestris* on Fishbase](http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=447)

- ["*Petrus rupestris*"](https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=647966). [Integrated Taxonomic Information System](/source/Integrated_Taxonomic_Information_System).

Taxon identifiers Petrus rupestris Wikidata: Q5104665 BOLD: 34781 CoL: 76VTH FishBase: 447 GBIF: 2392611 iNaturalist: 366831 IRMNG: 10151885 ITIS: 647966 IUCN: 170247 NCBI: 119732 OBIS: 218611 WoRMS: 218611 Petrus Wikidata: Q17189650 Wikispecies: Petrus BOLD: 34780 CoL: 6M6T GBIF: 2392610 iNaturalist: 90966 IRMNG: 1341931 ITIS: 647872 NCBI: 119731 Open Tree of Life: 794349 Plazi: 80669A01-F14F-0D09-CB6B-D01D319BDBAD WoRMS: 204524 ZooBank: 190573B2-631A-425C-8FEB-EFC460BC523C Dentex rupestris Wikidata: Q106421078 CoL: 6CKRM GBIF: 2392613 IRMNG: 11089621 WoRMS: 305164

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Red steenbras](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_steenbras) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_steenbras?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.