Triakis megalopterus (Smith, 1839)

Mustelus megalopterus Smith, 1839: no pagination, pl. 2. Syntypes: BMNH 1845.7.3.149 (1), BMNH 1845.7.3.159 (1). Type locality: Cape Town, South Africa, southeastern Atlantic.

Local synonymy: Mustelus megalopterus: Smith, 1839: no pagination, pl. 2; Gray, 1851: 58; Bleeker, 1860b: 57; Smith, 1957c: 357, fig. 2l. Mustelus natalensis: Steindachner, 1866: 482, pl. 1; Thompson, 1914: 143; Smith, 1957c: 357, fig. 26g, h, i. Mustelus laevis (in part): G̹nther, 1870: 385; Gilchrist, 1902: 163; Thompson, 1914: 142; Barnard, 1925: 29. Mustelus punctatus: Smith, 1949a: 45, fig. 18. Mustelus nigropunctatus: Smith, 1949a: 45, fig. 18; Smith, 1952a: 223, pl. 13; Smith, 1957c: 357, fig. 23k. Triakis natalensis: Bass et al., 1975b: 17, fig. 11. Triakis megalopterus: Bass et al., 1975b: 16, fig. 10; Compagno, 1984b: 430, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 86, fig. 9.36; Compagno, 1988a: 214; Compagno et al., 1989: Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 65; Compagno et al., 2005: 282, fig., pl. 45; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 429, fig., pl. 55; Mann, 2013: 291; NPOA, 2013: 45; da Silva et al., 2015: 248; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 146; Compagno, 2016: 1283; Weigmann, 2016: 886.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB [formerly RUSI] 424 (Holotype of Mustelus nigropunctatus). SAIAB 6208, SAIAB 6270, SAIAB 7978, SAIAB 12568, SAIAB 19392, SAIAB 19594, SAIAB 19792, SAIAB 19994, SAIAB 200309, SAIAB 200329, SAIAB 26298, SAIAB 27022, SAIAB 38496, SAIAB 46948, SAIAB 51228, SAIAB 2418 (accessioned as Mustelus natalensis), SAIAB 98942 (accessioned as Mustelus nigropunctatus).

South African distribution: The Orange River (NC) to Coffee Bay, Transkei coast (EC).

Remarks: A large-bodied houndshark, T. megalopterus is a common nearshore species found almost exclusively at depths of less than 50 m.

Conservation status: LC (2020).