Dipturus lanceorostratus (Wallace, 1967a)

Rattail Skate

Raja lanceorostrata Wallace, 1967a: 15, fig. 8. Holotype: SAIAB [former RUSI] 986 [ex ORI B869]. Type locality: Off the Limpopo River mouth, Mozambique.

Local synonymy: Raja lanceorostrata: Wallace, 1967a: 15, fig. 8. Raja (Dipturus) lanceorostratus: Hulley, 1986: 122, fig. 25.12; Compagno et al., 1989: 90, pl. Dipturus lanceorostratus: Compagno, 1999: 116; Compagno & Ebert, 2007: 139, fig. 6c; Ebert & Compagno, 2007: 119; Ebert, 2014: 60, fig. 82; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 147; Last et al., 2016f: 21; Last et al., 2016g: 261, fig. 19.52; Weigmann, 2016: 945.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 10726, SAIAB 189018.

South African distribution: New species record for South Africa. Two specimens of this rare skate, one from off KZN and another from the Agulhas Bank (WC), are reported here for the first time.

Remarks: This very rare skate species was previously known only from the three type specimens from off the Limpopo River, Mozambique. However, a search of the SAIAB collection uncovered about eight specimens from Mozambique in addition to the two South African specimens, which represent a range extension for this species.

Conservation status: DD (2019).