Poroderma pantherinum (Smith, in Müller & Henle, 1838c ), : Smith, 1837

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 : 53-54

Poroderma pantherinum (Smith, in Müller & Henle, 1838c)

Leopard Catshark

Scyllium pantherinum Smith, in M̹ller & Henle, 1838c: 13 . Syntypes: BMNH 1845.7.3.145 (stuffed); RMNH uncatalogued (1, lost); UTZI uncatalogued (1, lost). According to Fricke et al. (2020) appeared first as name only in Smith, 1838: 85.

Local synonymy: Poroderma pantherinum : Smith, 1837: 85 (name only); Smith, in M̹ller & Henle, 1838c: 13; Garman, 1913: 70; Fowler, 1925b: 189; Fowler, 1941: 37; Smith 1949a: 53, fig. 33; Smith, 1965: 53, fig. 33; Bass et al., 1975a: 30, fig. 18; Springer, 1979: 114; Compagno, 1984b: 349, fig.; Bass, 1986: 95, fig. 11.15, pl. 3; Compagno, 1988a: 117; Compagno et al., 1989: 48, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 119; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 67; Compagno et al., 2005: 243, fig., pl. 39; Human, 2006a: 6, fig. 3; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 370, fig., pl. 50; Mann, 2013: 187; NPOA, 2013: 47; da Silva et al., 2015: 248; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 147; Weigmann, 2016: 878. Poroderma submaculatum Smith, 1837: 85 (name only). Poroderma variegatum Smith, 1837: 85 (name only). Scyllium leopardinum M̹ller & Henle, 1838c: 13 ( Fowler, 1941: 38 attributes this name to Van Horst in M̹ller & Henle, although no reference to Van Horst is given in M̹ller & Henle). Scyllium maeandrinum von Rapp in M̹ller & Henle, 1838c: 13 . Scyllium variegatum Smith in M̹ller & Henle, 1838c: 14 ; Smith, 1849: 11, fig. 3, pl. 25; Duméril 1853: 83; Bleeker 1878: 1, 8; Sauvage 1891: 511. Scyllium pantherinum: Smith in M̹ller & Henle, 1838c: 13 ; Smith 1849: 11, fig. 2, pl. 25; Gray, 1851: 31; Bleeker, 1860: 57; Duméril, 1865: 322; Gilchrist, 1902: 164. Scyllium africanum : G̹nther, 1870: 405; Lampe, 1914: 209. Scyllium africanum var. pantherina : G̹nther, 1870: 405; Lampe, 1914: 212. Scyllium africanum var. striata : G̹nther, 1870: 405; Lampe, 1914: 212. Scyllium africanum var. variegata : G̹nther, 1870: 405; Lampe, 1914: 212. Scyliorhinus pantherinus : Regan, 1908b: 456. Scyllium africanum var. punctata Lampe, 1914: 212 . Scylliorhinus pantherinus : Smith, 1849: 11, fig. 2, pl. 25; Thompson, 1914: 138; Gilchrist & Thompson, 1916: 270; Gilchrist, 1922a: 4; Barnard, 1925: 40, fig. 5, pl. 2; Barnard, 1927: 1013. Scyliorhinus regani: Fowler, 1925b: 188 , fig. 1; Fowler, 1926: 32, fig. 3, not Holohalaelurus regani ( Gilchrist, 1922b) . Poroderma marleyi Fowler, 1934a: 234 (original description); Fowler, 1941: 38; Bigelow & Schroeder, 1948b: 197; Smith, 1949a: 53, pl. 2; Springer & Garrick, 1964: 86; Smith, 1965: 53, pl. 2; Bass et al., 1975a: 29, fig. 17; Springer, 1979: 114; Compagno, 1984b: 348, fig.; Bass, 1986: 94, fig. 11.14; Compagno, 1988a: 118; Human, 2006a: fig. 5. Scyliorhinus leopardus: Fowler, 1935: 361 . Conoporoderma pantherinum : Bigelow & Schroeder, 1948b: 197.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 5910, SAIAB 6000, SAIAB 6001, SAIAB 6002, SAIAB 10273, SAIAB 10372, SAIAB 10737, SAIAB 11960, SAIAB 12016, SAIAB 13130, SAIAB 16728, SAIAB 17326, SAIAB 17783, SAIAB 18179, SAIAB 19992, SAIAB 25181, SAIAB 25214, SAIAB 25215, SAIAB 25216, SAIAB 25217, SAIAB 25336, SAIAB 25921, SAIAB 25921, SAIAB 25928, SAIAB 26283, SAIAB 26284, SAIAB 26285, SAIAB 26286, SAIAB 26287, SAIAB 26288, SAIAB 26289, SAIAB 26441, SAIAB 26442, SAIAB 26443, SAIAB 27206, SAIAB 27207, SAIAB 27649, SAIAB 34577, SAIAB 37057, SAIAB 39990, SAIAB 48495, SAIAB 53684, SAIAB 53685, SAIAB 189034.

South African distribution: Endemic. Saldanha Bay (WC) to Durban (KZN), but most common on the south and southeast coasts ( Human, 2006a).

Remarks: Fowler (1934a) described a new Poroderma species ( P. marleyi ) based on an extreme color morph from off Durban. However, examination of additional color morphs throughout its range reveals this species to be a junior synonym of P. pantherinum ( Human, 2006a) . Furthermore, it appears that “marleyi” color morph occurs at the extreme ends of its range, both in the Saldaha (WC) and KZN areas (D.A. Ebert, unpubl. data)

Conservation status: LC (2020).