Scyliorhinus Blainville, 1816

Soares, Karla D. A. & De, Marcelo R., 2019, The catshark genus Scyliorhinus (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae): taxonomy, morphology and distribution, Zootaxa 4601 (1), pp. 1-147 : 6

Scyliorhinus Blainville, 1816

Catulus (not of Kniphof 1759, for insects) Valmont 1769: 114 (type-species, Catulus vulgaris Valmont = Squalus canicula Linnaeus , by monotypy); Garman, 1913: 71 –78; Smith, 1837: 85. Gender: masculine. [rejected by ICZN Opinion 89, 1925: 27].

Scyliorhinus Blainville, 1816:121 , type species, Scyliorhinus caniculus Blainville , by subsequent designation of Gill, 1862:407. Gender: masculine.

Scyllium Cuvier 1817: 124 ; type species, Squalus canicula Linnaeus, 1758 by subsequent designation by Jordan, 1917: 97. Gender: masculine.

Scylliorhinus Blainville, 1825: 26 , type species, Scylliorhinus caniculus Blainville , by subsequent designation of Gill, 1862:407. Gender: masculine.

Type-species. Scyliorhinus canicula ( Linnaeus, 1758) , designated by Gill, 1862.

Diagnosis. Scyliorhinus can be distinguished from the other catshark genera of the family Scyliorhinidae by the presence of a laterally projected flap on the upper lip margin that covers the lower labial furrow (versus absent; condition also found in Poroderma africanum ), presence of a pelvic apron in males (vs. absent in other catshark genera, except Asymbolus and Holohalaelurus ), and extension of pelvic apron longer than one half of the pelvic inner margins length (vs. shorter than one half of inner margins in Asymbolus and Holohalaelurus ). The following combination of characters also distinguishes Scyliorhinus : anterior nasal flap covering the excurrent apertures and posterior flap (vs. flaps covering only partially the aperture in Apristurus , Cephalurus , Figaro , Galeus , Holohalaelurus , and Schroederichthys ); presence of posterior nasal flap (vs. absent in Apristurus , Atelomycterus , Aulohalaelurus , and Haploblepharus ); lower labial furrow present (vs. absent in Cephaloscyllium and Holohalaelurus ); upper labial furrow absent (vs. present in Poroderma pantherinum , Apristurus , Asymbolus , Atelomycterus , Aulohalaelurus , Bythaelurus , Cephalurus , Figaro , Galeus , Halaelurus , Haploblepharus , Holohalaelurus , Parmaturus , and Schroederichthys ); mesonarial crest prominent on the anterior nasal flap (present only in Cephaloscyllium and Schroederichthys ); postoral groove absent (vs. present in Cephaloscyllium ); origin of first dorsal fin closer to the pelvic fin insertion (vs. closer to the origin in Cephalurus and Parmaturus ); dermal denticles with cusplets (vs. cusplets absent in Cephalurus , Parmaturus and Schroederichthys ); ectodermal pits restricted to the crown base of dermal denticles (vs. extending to more than one half length of the crown in Asymbolus , Apristurus , Figaro , Galeus , Halaelurus , Holohalaelurus , and Parmaturus ); only one median ridge between the crown base and distal tip of the principal cusp (vs. two ridges in Asymbolus , Atelomycterus , Aulohalaelurus , Cephalurus , Haploblepharus , and Holohalaelurus ); clasper with terminal dermal cover (vs. absent in Apristurus and Cephalurus ); rhipidion extending to the distal tip of glans (vs. extending to the hindquarter in Atelomycterus , Aulohalaelurus , Cephalurus , Figaro , Galeus , Parmaturus , and Poroderma ); color pattern with saddles darker than the background along the body (vs. absent in Apristurus , Cephalurus , Galeus , Holohalaelurus , Parmaturus , and Poroderma ).

Etymology. The name Scyliorhinus corresponds to the Latin form of the Greek word σκύλoς (‘skýlo’), meaning ‘dogfish’. Cuvier (1817) mentioned that Scyllium could be a reference to ‘Skýlla’ (Σκύλλα), a mystical marine monster. Springer (1979) rejected this last proposition, based on the common names assigned to the first species described for the genus, S. canicula .

Remarks. Valmont (1769) proposed the genus Catulus , allocating to it the species Squalus canicula Linnaeus, 1758 , S. catulus Linnaeus, 1758 (= Scyliorhinus canicula ) and S. stellare Linnaeus, 1758 (= Scyliorhinus stellaris ). Some subsequent authors followed this proposal ( Garman 1913; Smith 1937). Later, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature rejected the name Catulus (ICZN Opinion 89, 1925:27) based on the principle of priority.