Somniosidae, Jordan, 1888

Biscoito, Manuel, Ribeiro, Cláudia & Freitas, Mafalda, 2018, Annotated checklist of the fishes of the archipelago of Madeira (NE Atlantic): I-Chondrichthyes, Zootaxa 4429 (3), pp. 459-494 : 473-475

Family Somniosidae

* Centroscymnus coelolepis Barbosa du Bocage & de Brito Capello, 1864 —Xara-preta; Portuguese dogfish

Günther 1870: 423 (as Centrophorus coelolepis )

Capello 1872: 88 | Belloc 1934: 144 | Noronha & Sarmento 1934: 134 and 137 | Fowler 1936: 74 | Noronha & Sarmento 1948: 133 | Maul 1948: 139 | Nunes 1953: 245 | Albuquerque 1954 –56: 126 | Krefft & Tortonese 1973: 40 | Cadenat & Blache 1981: 95–97 | McEachran & Branstetter 1984: 134–35 | Compagno 1984a: 55–56 | Sanches 1986: 82 | Lloris et al. 1991: 224 | Carneiro et al. 2014: 14.

Distribution in Macaronesia. Madeira, Azores ( Santos et al. 1997; Arruda 1997; Saldanha & Biscoito 1997; Porteiro et al. 2010), Canary Islands ( Brito et al. 2002; Brito Hernández & Sancho Rafel 2003) and Cape Verde ( Hanel & John 2014).

Remarks. Several preserved specimens: USNM 94520, MNHN IC-AB0244, MNHN1965-123, and nine records including skin, mounted and formalin preserved specimens in MMF collections (dated from 1944–2017). Maul (1948) refers as frequent all year, occurring offshore.

* Centroscymnus owstonii Garman, 1906 —Xara-preta-de-natura; Roughskin dogfish

Günther 1870: 423 (as Centrophorus coelolepis )

Regan 1906: 437 (as Centroscymnus cryptacanthus )

Fowler 1936: 75 | Maul 1948: 139 | Albuquerque 1954 –56: 128 | Krefft & Tortonese 1973: 41 | Cadenat & Blache 1981: 93–95 | Sanches 1986: 83 | Lloris et al. 1991:224 (as Centroscymnus cryptacanthus )

Carneiro et al. 2014: 14.

Distribution in Macaronesia. Madeira, Azores ( Santos et al. 1997; Porteiro et al. 2010) and Canary Islands ( Brito et al. 2002; Brito Hernández & Sancho Rafel 2003).

Remarks. Günther’s specimen (BMNH 1865.5.20.14), is indeed the first record from Madeira, although at the time he has identified it as C. coelolepis . This specimen, who was donated by J. Y. Johnson, was later used by Regan in 1906 to describe Centroscymnus cryptacanthus , now considered a junior synonym of C. owstonii Garman 1906 ( Compagno 2001) . Several formalin preserved specimens in MMF collections from Madeira, Porto Santo, Seine and Unicorn Seamounts. Maul (1948) refers as rare, occurring offshore.

* Centroselachus crepidater (Barbosa du Bocage & de Brito Capello, 1864) —Sapata-de-natura; Longnose velvet dogfish

Günther 1870: 421–22 | Noronha & Sarmento 1934: 128 and 137 | Nobre 1935: 451 (as Centrophorus crepidater )

Noronha & Sarmento 1948: 126 (as Centroselachus crepidator )

Kreftt & Tortonese 1973: 41 | McEachran & Branstetter 1984: 135 | Compagno 1984a: 56–57 | Sanches 1986: 84 | Lloris et al. 1991: 224 (as Centroscymnus crepidater )

Fowler 1936: 75 | Maul 1948: 139 | Nunes 1953: 218 | Albuquerque 1954 –56: 128 | Carneiro et al 2014: 14.

Distribution in Macaronesia. Madeira, Azores ( Santos et al. 1997; Porteiro et al. 2010) and Canary Islands ( Brito et al. 2002; Brito Hernández & Sancho Rafel 2003).

Remarks. four records, including mounted and formalin preserved specimens in MMF collections (dated from 1931, 1940 and 2004) and one specimen preserved in USNM (94522). Maul (1948) refers as rare, occurring offshore.

* Scymnodon ringens Barbosa du Bocage & de Brito Capello, 1864 —Boca; Knifetooth dogfish

Capello 1872: 88 (as Scymnodon ringeus sic)

Fowler 1936: 76 | Maul 1948: 139 | Albuquerque 1954 –56: 125 | Kreft & Tortonese 1973: 44 | Cadenat & Blache 1981: 87–88 | McEachran & Branstetter 1984: 142 | Sanches 1986: 88 | Lloris et al. 1991: 238 | Carneiro et al. 2014: 14 | Delgado et al. 2017

Distribution in Macaronesia. Madeira and Canary Islands ( Brito et al. 2002; Brito Hernández & Sancho Rafel 2003).

Remarks. a skin, mounted and formalin preserved specimens in MMF collections dated from 1941 and 1944. Maul (1948) refers as rare, occurring offshore.

* Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)—No common name in Madeira; Greenland shark

Freitas & Biscoito 2007: 6 | Carneiro et al. 2014: 14.

Distribution in Macaronesia. Madeira, Azores ( Porteiro et al. 2010; Menezes et al. 2012) and Canary Islands ( Brito et al. 2002; Brito Hernández & Sancho Rafel 2003).

Remarks. two records (MMF 23429 and 36218), one head and one formalin preserved specimen in MMF collections, dated from 1983 and 2007.

* Somniosus rostratus (Risso, 1827)—Trabolha-de-natura; Little sleeper shark

Maul 1955: 7 | Krefft & Tortonese 1973: 47 | Cadenat & Blache 1981: 84–85 | McEachran & Branstetter 1984: 144 | Compagno 1984a: 106–107 | Sanches 1986: 93 | Lloris et al. 1991: 239 | Carneiro et al. 2014: 14.

Distribution in Macaronesia. Madeira, Azores ( Porteiro et al. 2010) and Canary Islands ( Brito et al. 2002; Brito Hernández & Sancho Rafel 2003).

Remarks. Maul (1955) reported two specimens caught in January 1942 in about 1000 m of depth, according to fisherman. Four records, including stuffed skin, jaws, mounted specimens and formalin preserved specimen in MMF collections dated from 1942, 1951 and 2004. Noronha (1926) had already mentioned the presence of the species in Madeiran waters, although only based on visual observations.

* Zameus squamulosus (Günther, 1877)—Xara-preta-de-focinho-comprido; Velvet dogfish

Noronha 1926: 385 | Noronha & Sarmento 1934: 137 | Maul 1948: 139 | Albuquerque 1954 –56: 127 (as Centroscymnus obscurus )

Krefft & Tortonese 1973: 45 | Cadenat & Blache 1981: 88–90 | Compagno 1984a: 98–99 | Lloris et al. 1991: 238 (as Scymnodon obscurus )

Carneiro et al. 2014: 14.

Distribution in Macaronesia. Madeira, Azores ( Porteiro et al. 2010; Menezes et al. 2012), Canary Islands ( Brito et al. 2002; Brito Hernández & Sancho Rafel 2003) and Cape Verde ( Menezes et al. 2004).

Remarks. Three specimens (MMF 0 0 40, 0 605 and 20161) and an oil sample (MMF 0438) in MMF collections. Maul (1948) refers as rare, occurring offshore.