Alopias Rafinesque, 1810a

Ebert, David A., White, William T., Ho, Hsuan-Ching, Last, Peter R., Nakaya, Kazuhiro, Séret, Bernard, Straube, Nicolas, Naylor, Gavin J. P. & De Carvalho, Marcelo R., 2013, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of Taiwan, Zootaxa 3752 (1), pp. 279-386 : 310-311

Genus Alopias Rafinesque, 1810a

Thresher Sharks / Ďḛé

Alopias Rafinesque, 1810a: 13 . Type species: Alopias macrourus Rafinesque, 1810a , by monotypy, a junior synonym of Squalus vulpinus Bonnaterre, 1788: 9 .

Alopias pelagicus Nakamura, 1935

Thintail Thresher Shark / áėĎḛ

Alopias pelagicus Nakamura, 1935: 2 , 3, pl. 1, fig.2. Syntypes: Three large individuals mentioned and measured, these 2700, 2850 and 3300 mm TL, and a large female specimen illustrated but of uncertain size; also a foetus 965 mm (Nakamura, ibid, 5, pl. 3), probably referable to Alopias vulpinus ; all from Su-Ao fish market, Taiwan. The whereabouts of these syntypes is unknown ( Compagno, 2001).

Local synonymy: Nakamura, 1935: 3, pl. 1, fig. 2; 1936: 8, pl.2, fig. 1; Chen, 1948: 30; 1956: 13; 1963: 41; Teng, 1962: 93; Shen, 1984a: 54; Chen & Yu, 1986: 126; Chen & Joung, 1993: 50; Shao et al., 2008: 236; Ho & Shao, 2011: 17; Shen & Wu, 2011: 60, fig.

Taiwan voucher material: (1 specimen) NMMB-P HO-178 (tissue accession GN10065 ), adult male 3137 mm TL, Da-wu , Taitung, 16 Mar 2012 .

Remarks: A common species in Taiwanese waters, especially off the northeastern coast.

Conservation status: Vulnerable.

Alopias superciliosus Lowe, 1841

Bigeye Thresher Shark / ḏėĎḛ

Alopias supercilious Lowe, 1841: 39 . Also Lowe, 1849: 18 (sometimes dated 1839). Holotype unknown ( Compagno, 2001), type locality Madeira, Eastern Atlantic.

Local synonymy: Alopias profundus: Nakamura, 1935: 2 , pl. 1, fig. 1; 1936: 9, pl.2, fig. 2; Matsubara, 1936b: 59, fig. 42; Chen, 1948: 30; 1956: 13; 1963: 42; Teng, 1962: 93; Chen & Yu, 1986: 126. Alopias superciliosus: Shen, 1984a: 55 ; Chen & Joung, 1993: 50, pl. 5.1; Shao et al., 2008: 236; Ho & Shao, 2011: 17; Shen & Wu, 2011: 60, fig.

Taiwan voucher material: Commonly seen at fish markets, but no specimens were examined during the present study.

Remarks: A common species in Taiwan, especially off the northeastern coast.

Conservation status: Vulnerable.

Alopias vulpinus ( Bonnaterre, 1788)

Thresher Shark / Ďḛ

Squalus vulpinus Bonnaterre, 1788: 9 . Types unknown according to Compagno (2001), type locality: Mediterranean Sea.

Local synonymy: Alopias vulpinus :? Fowler, 1930: 87; Chen, 1948: 29; 1956: 13; 1963: 40; Shen, 1984a: 55; Chen & Joung, 1993: 50, pl. 5.2; Chen & Yu, 1986:126; Shao et al., 2008: 236; Shen & Wu, 2011: 60, fig.

Taiwan voucher material: Chen (1963) lists 2 specimens from Kaohsiung, THUP 01969 and THUP 01970 , both male embryos. Although no specimens were examined during the present survey, this is not an uncommon species at fish markets, especially in southern Taiwan.

Remarks: This species is not uncommon in Taiwanese waters, along with the other two Alopias species.

Conservation status: Vulnerable.