Squalus acutipinnis Regan, 1908a

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 : 21-22

Squalus acutipinnis Regan, 1908a

Bluntnose Dogfish

Squalus acutipinnis Regan, 1908a: 248 , pl. 37. Lectotype: BMNH 1905.6.8.8 designated by Krefft (1968). Type locality: KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Western Indian Ocean.

Local synonymy: Squalus blainvillei: Gilchrist, 1902: 165 ; Thompson, 1914: 149; Bass et al., 1976 (in part): 15; Muñoz-Chápuli and Ramos 1989 (in part): 1; Ebert et al., 2013 (in part): 85, fig., pl. 4. Squalus acutipinnis: Regan, 1908a: 248 , pl. 37; Regan, 1921: 412; Barnard, 1925 (in part): 48; Barnard, 1947: 20, fig. 4, pl. 3; Krefft, 1968 (in part): 34, pl. III A (cited, description, designation of lectotype; South Africa); Bass et al., 1986: 62; Myagkov & Kondyurin 1986: 8; Compagno et al., 1991: 68; Ebert et al., 2010: 22; Ebert, 2015: 57, fig. 55; Ebert & Mostarda, 2015: 18, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; Viana & de Carvalho, 2016: 628, fig. 1; Veríssimo et al., 2017 (in part): 414; Viana et al., 2018: 25. Squalus fernandinus: Gilchrist, 1922b (in part): 48; Von Bonde, 1923 (in part): 5; Fowler, 1941 (in part): 260–262 (description; South Africa, Mauritius); Smith, 1949a (in part): 60; Smith, 1965 (in part): 60. Squalus acanthias: Smith, 1949a: 60 , fig. 64; Smith, 1965 (in part): 60, fig. 64. Squalus megalops : Bass et al., 1976 (in part): 10–11, fig. 11; pl. 3; Compagno, 1984a: 118, fig.; Bass et al., 1986 (in part): 62, fig. 5.26; Compagno et al., 1989 (in part): 22, pl.; Compagno et al., 1991: 68; Ebert et al., 1992: 606; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004; 53; Compagno et al., 2005: 76, fig., pl. 3; Ebert, 2013 (in part): 53; Ebert et al., 2013 a (in part): 91; NPOA, 2013: 39; Compagno, 2016: 1157, 1162; Weigmann, 2016: 904. Squalus mitsukurii: Bass et al., 1986 (in part): 61. Squalus probatovi: Myagkov & Kondyurin, 1986: 567 , figs. 1c, g, i.; Gubanov et al., 1986: 172; Muñoz-Chápuli & Ramos, 1989: 19; Weigmann, 2016: 904 (synonym of S. megalops ); Viana et al., 2017: 25; Viana et al., 2018: 5, 26. Squalus cf. megalops: Compagno, 1999: 144 ; Naylor et al., 2012a (in part): 58, 148, fig. 42; Naylor et al., 2012b (in part): fig. 2.7. Squalus acutipinna: da Silva et al., 2015: 248 ; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144 [amended spelling to S. acutipinnis, 2015: 435 ]. Squalus blainville: Veríssimo et al., 2017 (in part): 414. Squalus cf. blainvillei Viana et al., 2017: 25 (cited only; Southern Africa); Viana et al., 2018: 5, 26. Squalus margaretsmithae: Viana et al. 2018: 13 , figs. 6c–d, 8–14; Viana & de Carvalho, 2018: 628.

South Africa voucher material: Squalus acutipinnis : Lectotype: BMNH 1905.6 . 8.8. Paralectotypes: (3 specimens) BMNH 1859.5 . 7.68, BMNH 1900.11 . 6.14. Squalus margaretsmithae : Holotype: SAIAB 25389 . Paratypes: SAIAB 21856 , SAIAB 21858 , SAIAB 21859 , SAIAB 21939 , SAIAB 25362 , SAIAB 25366 , SAIAB 25377 . Non-types : (voucher specimens from Viana & de Carvalho, 2016) SAIAB 7829 , SAIAB 10443 , SAIAB 19863 , SAIAB 21933 , SAIAB 25360 , SAIAB 25361 , SAIAB 25369 , SAIAB 25390 , SAIAB 25394 , SAIAB 26639 , SAIAB 34576 , SAM 12986, SAM 12996, SAM 28638, SAM 32550, SAM 32894, SAM 34217, ZMB 19151 .

South Africa distribution: The Orange River (WC) to KZN border with Mozambique.

Remarks: The South African “short-nose” Squalus species-complex ( S. acutipinna , S. cf. blainville , S. mahia , S. margaretsmithae , and Squalus probatovi ) is in need of extensive taxonomic revision to clarify and identify regional species. The occurrence of five co-occurring “short-nose” species seems unlikely given molecular ( Veríssimo et al., 2017) and ecological data ( Ebert et al., 1992; unpubl. data), which does not support this number of species. Therefore, until further detailed data are available S. margaretsmithae and S. probatovi are considered junior synonyms of S. acutipinna .

Conservation status: NT (2020).