Hydrolagus africanus ( Gilchrist, 1922b )

Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, Zootaxa 4947 (1), pp. 1-127 : 103-104

Hydrolagus africanus ( Gilchrist, 1922b)

African Ghostshark

Chimaera africanus Gilchrist, 1922b: 51 , pl. 8. Syntypes: several, all lost. Type locality: deepwater off KZN. Neotype: SAM 34420 . Neotype designated by Walovich et al. 2015:158, fig. 1. Type locality: west coast of WC, Southeast Atlantic Ocean, 30°04'59.88''S, 14°54'6.12''E.

Local synonymy: Chimaera africanus: Gilchrist, 1922b: 51 , pl. 8; Barnard, 1925: 95; Norman, 1935: 47; Fowler, 1941: 499; Smith, 1949a: 79, fig. 94; Bigelow & Schroeder, 1953: 543; Smith, 1961a: 76, fig, 94; Smith, 1965, 76, fig. 94. Hydrolagus sp.: Compagno et al., 1991: 113. Hydrolagus africanus: Smith, 1968: 3 , pl. 1a; Compagno, 1986: 145, fig. 32.2; Compagno et al., 1989: 120, pl. (in part); Compagno, 1999: 120; Kemper et al., 2010: 55; Didier et al., 2012: 101; Ebert, 2014: 96, fig. 151; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 148; Walovich et al., 2015: 158, fig. 1; Weigmann, 2016: 1002. Hydrolagus cf. africanus: Ebert, 2015: 198 , fig. 225.

South Africa voucher material: Neotype: SAM 34420. Non-types : CAS 241488 (4 specimens), CAS 241490 (2 specimens), CAS 241491 , CAS 241492 (2 specimens), CAS 241493 , SAIAB 14040 (2 specimens), SAIAB 17324 , SAIAB 17325 , SAIAB 25211 , SAIAB 25712 , SAIAB 81688 , SAIAB 186459 , SAM 33058, SAM 33412, USNM 438927 , USNM 438929 , USNM 438930 , USNM 438931 , USNM 438932 .

South African distribution: Entire coastline from the Orange River (NC) to KZN border with Mozambique.

Remarks: Hydrolagus africanus has long been misidentified with other regional Hydrolagus species including H. affinis in South African and Namibian waters and with H. mirabilis in Angolan waters. However, Walovich et al. (2015) reviewed the issue and designated a neotype clarifying the external morphology and providing a key to regional species.

Conservation status: LC (2020).