Carcharhinus amboinensis (Müller & Henle, 1839 )

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 : 61

Carcharhinus amboinensis (Müller & Henle, 1839)

Pigeye Shark

Carcharias (Prionodon) amboinensis M̹ller & Henle, 1839: 40 , pl. 19 (teeth). Holotype: RMNH D2582 (skin). Type locality: Ambon Island, Indonesia.

Local synonymy: Carcharhinus zambezensis: Smith, 1952a: 857 , fig. 1, pl.; Smith, 1952e: 6, fig. 1; Smith, 1953: 42, fig. 9. Carcharhinus leucas: Davies, 1964: 32 , pl. 25 (in part). Carcharhinus amboinensis: D’Aubrey, 1964a: 40 , pl. 22; Bass et al., 1973: 44, fig. 16; Garrick, 1982: 91, fig. 42; Compagno, 1984b: 461, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 70, fig. 9.4; Cliff & Wilson, 1986: 15; Compagno, 1988a: 305; Compagno et al., 1989: 64, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 120; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 59; Compagno et al., 2005: 291, fig., pl. 54; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 459, fig., pl. 70; NPOA, 2013: 40; da Silva et al., 2015: 246; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 146; Weigmann, 2016: 854.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6241 [ex ORI 2360], SAIAB 6250 [ex ORI 769], SAIAB 57941, SAIAB 75556.

South African distribution: Algoa Bay (EC) to northern KZN.

Remarks: Although the species can be misidentified with C. leucas , it apparently occupies a slightly deeper habitat, from 30–60 m deep, and tends to avoid freshwater systems while C. leucas occurs generally in shallower waters (0–30 m) and utilizes rivers and estuaries ( Bass et al., 1973).

Conservation status: DD (2009).