Carcharhinus falciformis (Müller & Henle, 1839)

Silky Shark

Carcharias (Prionodon) falciformis Bibron in M̹ller & Henle, 1839: 47. Holotype: MNHN 0000-1134. Type locality: Cuba, Western Atlantic.

Local synonymy: Carcharhinus falciformis: D’Aubrey, 1964a: 34, pl. 17; Bass et al., 1973: 29, fig. 11; Garrick, 1982: 159, figs. 73–74; Compagno, 1984b: 470, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 72, fig. 9.7; Compagno, 1988a: 7; Compagno et al., 1989: 70, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 120; Compagno et al., 2005: 295, fig., pl. 51; Ebert et al., 2013: 464, fig., pl. 62; NPOA, 2013: 41; Ebert & Dando, 2014: 35, fig.; da Silva et al., 2015: 246; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 146; Compagno, 2016: 1303; Weigmann, 2016: 855.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 202926.

South African distribution: Central KZN to the border with Mozambique.

Remarks: A common offshore, pelagic species in warm temperate to tropical seas, C. falciformis was not recorded in the area until the 1960s when D’Aubrey (1964a) reported it from off Durban . It is frequently misidentified with C. obscurus .

Conservation status: VU (2017).