Carcharhinus altimus ( Springer, 1950 )

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 : 60

Carcharhinus altimus ( Springer, 1950)

Bignose Shark

Eulamia altima Springer, 1950: 9 . Holotype: USNM 133828 . Type locality: Cosgrove Reef , Key West, Florida, U.S.A.

Local synonymy: Carcharhinus altimus: D’Aubrey, 1964a: 35 , pl. 18; Garrick, 1967: 89; Bass et al., 1973: 20, fig. 7; Garrick, 1982: 142, figs. 64–65; Compagno, 1984b: 457, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 69, fig. 9.2; Compagno, 1988a: 317; Compagno et al., 1989: 62, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 119; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 57; Compagno et al., 2005: 289, fig., pl. 57; Ebert, 2013: 206, fig. 274; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 456, fig., pl. 66; Ebert & Mostarda, 2013: 70, fig.; Ebert & Dando, 2014: 31, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 146; Weigmann, 2016: 853.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6219 [ex ORI 2678], SAIAB 10277, SAIAB 26159.

South African distribution: Port Alfred (EC) to northern KZN.

Remarks: Usually an outer shelf and upper continental slope species, this species does occasionally come to the surface and inshore.A 242 cm TL specimen [SAIAB 26159] was caught at the surface 22 km off Kenton-on-Sea (EC) by a skiboat angler. It is rarely caught in the bather protective shark nets off KZN.

Conservation status: NT (2020).