Puffadder Shyshark

discussion

Remarks: This species was the most common Haploblepharus species between False Bay and Hermanus (WC) during the 1980 s and early 1990 s, but in recent years appears to have been replaced in this area by H. pictus due to cooling oceanographic conditions. Conservation status: EN (2020).

An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa

materials_examined

South Africa voucher material: Human (2007) provides an extensive list of specimens in the SAM. South African distribution: Endemic. This species is confirmed from Langebaan Lagoon (WC) to Algoa Bay (EC) (Human, 2007), but is most common from False Bay to southeast of Cape Agulhas (WC). Records of this species from East London (EC) could be this species or more likely H. kistnasamyi (Human, 2007).

An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa

description

Description. Morphometric and meristic data are given in Table 1. Neotype, mature male 391 mm TL (mean of all specimens examined in Table 1, including the neotype, see Study material): H. edwardsii is a slender bodied Haploblepharus shark with a relatively narrow head, head width at the pectoral origin 3.67 (3.08) times the preoral length; head length 1.22 (1.27) times distance from snout tip to first gill slit; height of first gill slit 1.44 (1.82) times the height of the fifth gill slit; eye length 4.0 (5.0) times longer than spiracle length; basimandibular cartilage found at the symphysis of the Meckels cartilage in the lower jaw; mouth length 1.0 (1.0) times the prenarial length; mouth width 5.8 (6.46) times the upper labial furrow length; labial cartilages present; nasal lobes fused into a nasal flap that covers the excurrent apertures and extends to the mouth; interorbital width 1.18 (1.25) times the nasal flap width; head strongly depressed, head width at the posterior margin of the orbit 1.80 (1.97) times its height; head width 1.45 (1.58) times its height; trunk strongly depressed, trunk width 1.41 (1.38) times its height; abdomen depressed, abdomen width 1.25 (1.21) times

A taxonomic revision of the catshark genus Haploblepharus Garman 1913 (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae)

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Haploblepharus edwardsii is distinguished from its congeners by having a slender body at all stages of maturity, abdomen width 12.1 % TL for the neotype (mean 11.1 % TL); neotype with snout acutely rounded, often coming to a point in other specimens, head width at the posterior margin of the orbit 11.9 % TL in the neotype (mean 11.6 % TL); head strongly depressed, head height at the posterior margin of the orbit 6.6 % TL for the neotype (mean 5.9 % TL); trunk depressed, trunk height 9.1 % TL and trunk width 12.8 % TL in the neotype (mean 8.5 % TL and 11.7 % TL, respectively); claspers of mature males slender, inner length 8.2 times the base in the neotype (mean inner length 6.2 times base). The neotype of H. edwardsii has 58 rows of teeth in the upper jaw (mean 58.3) and 46 rows of teeth in the lower jaw (mean 52.4). The neotype of H. edwardsii has a total of 121 (mean 128.9) vertebral centra. Haploblepharus edwardsii always has eight to, occasionally, ten distinct saddles that have orange centres with dark borders.

A taxonomic revision of the catshark genus Haploblepharus Garman 1913 (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae)