African spotted catshark

discussion

Remarks: Human (2006 b) highlighted three issues that contributed to the taxonomic confusion of this species. This includes the loss of the holotype and whether it was ever formally accessioned, the type locality, and the species-complex in the KZN and southern Mozambique region. The specimen and illustration depicted by Gilchrist (1914) would qualify as the holotype, and it is likely to have gone to the SAM, but may never have been catalogued. During that period there is no reference to a scyliorhinid shark collected by Gilchrist in the SAM catalogue (Human, 2006 a). Although Gilchrist (1914) gives the type locality as Cape Point with no further details, Human (2006 a) suggested that he was referring to Cape St. Lucia (KZN) rather that Cape Point (WC). This would make sense since despite thousands of survey trawls in the WC over the past five decades this species has not been observed. However, its occurrence in KZN waters is not unexpected. Furthermore, the survey vessel S. S. Pickle traveled continuously between the WC and KZN during the early 1900 s. The KZN and southern Mozambique region has several species of Holohalaelurus co-occurring and until recently a lack of accurate d

An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa

materials_examined

South Africa voucher material: BMNH 1921.3. 1.1 (Holotype of H. polystigma from off Umvoti River, KZN). SAIAB 6134, SAIAB 6135, SAIAB 40829, SAIAB 188971, SAIAB 188972, SAIAB 188973, SAIAB 190082. South African distribution: North of Durban to the KZN border with Mozambique. Outside South Africa, this regional endemic is known only from southern Mozambique and Madagascar.

An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa

description

Description. Morphometric and meristic data are given in Table 1. Neotype, mature male 298 mm TL (mean of all specimens examined in Table 1, including the neotype, see Study material): body slender and elongate; head compressed, head width 2.35 (2.15) times its height at the posterior margin of the orbit, and head width 1.65 (1.73) times its height at the pectoral fin origin; trunk depressed, trunk width 1.74 (1.46) times its height; abdomen slightly depressed, abdomen width 1.06 (1.19) times its height; tail slightly depressed, tail width 1.17 (1.02) times its height; caudal peduncle compressed, caudal peduncle height 1.80 (1.69) times its width; ventral sensory pores conspicuously black; head long, head length 0.23 (0.23) times the precaudal length; snout short, rounded and coming to a point, preoral length 0.20 (0.23) times the snout to first gill slit distance; mouth long and wide, acutely arched, buccal papillae in mouth large and prominent on upper and lower surfaces, mouth width 2.0 (2.29) times its length; eye slit like, eye length 2.25 (1.95) times its height, distance from snout to the anterior origin of the orbit 0.66 (0.63) times the snout to spiracle length; spiracle l

A taxonomic revision of the catshark genus Holohalaelurus Fowler 1934 (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae), with descriptions of two new species.

diagnosis

Diagnosis. A dwarf species of Holohalaelurus, the following distinguishes H. punctatus from other Holohalaelurus sharks: denticles on dorsal midline not enlarged, the only Holohalaelurus shark not to have enlarged denticles on the dorsal midline; denticles on the dorsal surface of the pectoral fin not enlarged in adults; club-shaped papillae not present on the distal tip of the clasper; buccal papillae in mouth large and prominent on upper and lower surfaces; relatively low vertebral count, 112 total vertebrae in the neotype (mean 106.5); relatively low tooth counts, 45 upper teeth in total in the neotype (mean 45.9), 46 lower teeth in total in the neotype (mean 43.3). Covered in small dark spots on a golden yellow background, with scattered white spots; large white spot above pectoral fin insertion; white spot at the origin of each dorsal fin; faint twin V-shaped markings on both dorsal fins of fresh specimens.

A taxonomic revision of the catshark genus Holohalaelurus Fowler 1934 (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae), with descriptions of two new species.