Urogymnus asperrimus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Porcupine Ray

Raja asperrima Bloch & Schneider, 1801: 367 . Holotype: ZMB 7836 (dry skin, partial specimen). Type locality: Mumbai, India.

Local synonymy: Urogymnus africanus: Smith, 1952a: 225; Smith, 1961a: 512, fig. 82a: Smith, 1965: 512, fig. 82a. Urogymnus asperrimus: Compagno & Heemstra, 1984: 3; Compagno, 1986: 141, fig. 30.15; Compagno et al., 1989: 110, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 117; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 147; Last et al., 2016h: 363; Last et al., 2016i: 614, fig. 25.85; Weigmann, 2016: 977.

South Africa voucher material: None known in South African museums.

South African distribution: Along the KZN coast to the Mozambique border.

Remarks: A very little known species in South Africa, it is wide-ranging throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific. Generally rare, but can be locally common at certain locations (e.g. in parts of Australia).

Conservation status: VU (2016).