Heptranchias perlo (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Sharpnose Sevengill Shark

Squalus perlo Bonnaterre, 1788: 10 . Holotype: unknown. Type locality: “La Méditerranée” [Mediterranean Sea].

Local synonymy: Heptranchias cinereus: Duméril, 1865: 437, pl. 4.? Heptranchis pectorosus: Barnard, 1925: 21, fig. 1, pl. 1 (in part, teeth appear to be H. perlo). Heptranchias perlo: Smith, 1953: 511; Smith, 1965: 511; Bass et al., 1975d: 11, fig. 7, pl. 4; Compagno, 1984a: 17, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 45, fig. 2.1; Compagno et al., 1989: 18, pl.; Ebert, 1990: 38, fig. 3.13; Compagno, et al., 1991: 51; Compagno, 1999: 114; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 52; Compagno et al., 2005: 66, fig., pl. 1; Barnett et al., 2012: 968; Ebert, 2013: 39, fig. 30; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 68, fig., pl. 1; Ebert & Mostarda, 2013: 9, fig.; NPOA, 2013: 36; Ebert & Dando, 2014: 77, fig.; da Silva et al., 2015: 247; Ebert, 2015: 42, fig. 38; Ebert & Mostarda, 2015: 9, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Compagno, 2016: 1148; Weigmann, 2016: 887.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6064, SAIAB 6246 [former ORI 453], SAIAB 6255, SAIAB 189030, SAIAB 193573, SAIAB 201757. Ebert (1990) examined numerous South African specimens, many of which are now in the fish collection (uncatalogued) at SAM.

South Africa distribution: Cape Agulhas (WC) to the KZN border with Mozambique.

Remarks: The species is most common off KZN, but individuals have been taken during survey cruises at least as far west as Cape Agulhas (WC). Early records of this species may have been misidentified with its larger congener ( N. cepedianus), which mostly occurs in Cape waters. Barnard (1925: fig. 1, pl. 1) illustrates a sevengill shark that appears to be Notorynchus cepedianus, but the associated teeth are more consistent with those of H. perlo .

Conservation status: NT (2020).