Alopias superciliosus ( Lowe, 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 : 42

Alopias superciliosus ( Lowe, 1839)

Bigeye Thresher Shark

Alopecias superciliosus Lowe, 1841: 39 . Also Lowe, 1849: 18 (sometimes dated 1839). Holotype: lost. Type locality: Madeira, Eastern Atlantic.

Local synonymy: Alopias superciliosus : Bass et al., 1975c: 38, fig. 19; Gruber & Compagno, 1981: 617; Compagno, 1984a: 231, fig.; Bass, 1986: 102, fig. 16.2; Cliff & Wilson, 1986: 13; Compagno et al., 1989: 42, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 118; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 73; Compagno et al., 2005: 180, fig., pl. 29; Ebert, 2013: 155, fig. 188; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 226, fig., pl. 27; Ebert & Mostada, 2013: 14, fig.; NPOA, 2013: 50; Ebert & Dando, 2014: 59, fig.; da Silva et al., 2015: 246; Ebert, 2015: 132, fig. 142; Ebert & Mostada, 2015: 12, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 145; Compagno, 2016: 1235; Weigmann, 2016: 849.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6248 [former ORI 2921], SAIAB 8654, SAM 25543.

South African distribution: Cape Peninsula (WC) to the east coast (KZN).

Remarks: Readily identifiable from other thresher sharks by the arrangement of the eyes which give this species dorsal binocular vision. Caught commercially in various fisheries ( NPOA, 2013).

Conservation status: VU (2019).