# White steenbras

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Species of fish from South Africa

White steenbras Conservation status Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Acanthuriformes Family: Sparidae Genus: Lithognathus Species: L. lithognathus Binomial name Lithognathus lithognathus (Cuvier, 1829) White steenbras distribution Extant (resident) Synonyms Lithognathus capensis Swainson, 1839 Pagellus lithognathus (Cuvier, 1829) Pagrus lithognathus Cuvier, 1829

The **white steenbras** (*Lithognathus lithognathus*) is a species of [fish](/source/Fish) in the family [Sparidae](/source/Sparidae)[2] [endemic](/source/Endemism) to [South Africa](/source/South_Africa).[1] Due to [overfishing](/source/Overfishing), primarily by [seine netting operations](/source/Seine_fishing) in [False Bay](/source/False_Bay), the white steenbras is now endangered and is about to become a 'no keep' species in South Africa. Massive breeding shoals are [illegally](/source/Illegal_fishing) wiped out by beach seine netters each year,[3] with the authorities doing little to prevent this.[4] The species was identified as a priority for research, management and conservation in a National Linefish Status Report.[5]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IUCN_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IUCN_1-1) Bennett, R.; Mann, B.Q.; Lamberth, S.J. (2025). ["*Lithognathus lithognathus*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12137/263072030). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2025** e.T12137A263072030. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T12137A263072030.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T12137A263072030.en). Retrieved 29 November 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Froese, Rainer](/source/Rainer_Froese); [Pauly, Daniel](/source/Daniel_Pauly) (eds.). ["*Lithognathus lithognathus*"](https://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?genusname=Lithognathus&speciesname=lithognathus). *[FishBase](/source/FishBase)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** John Yeld. ["Were officers at 'illegal' trek-net?"](http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/were-officers-at-illegal-trek-net-1.1544321#.UlV2KxA7mEw). *iol.co.za*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Public vow to stop illegal white steenbras hauls being made by beach seine netters"](http://www.districtmail.com/articles/articledetails.aspx?id=72796). *District Mail*.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Bennett, Rhett Hamilton (2012). [*Movement patterns, stock delineation and conservation of an overexploited fishery species,*Lithognathus lithognathus*(Pisces: Sparidae)*](http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015709) (PhD thesis). Grahamstown: Rhodes University. [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[10962/d1015709](https://hdl.handle.net/10962%2Fd1015709).

Taxon identifiers Lithognathus lithognathus Wikidata: Q2089224 BOLD: 34744 CoL: 3VKQJ FishBase: 450 GBIF: 2392651 iNaturalist: 104749 IRMNG: 11412780 ITIS: 647951 IUCN: 12137 NCBI: 990602 OBIS: 218604 Open Tree of Life: 688426 WoRMS: 218604

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