Centroselachus crepidater (Barbosa du Bocage & de Brito Capello, 1864)

Longnose Velvet Dogfish

Centrophorus crepidater Barbosa du Bocage & de Brito Capello, 1864: 262, fig. 3. Holotype (unique): MB t.112(49) [destroyed in fire in 1978]. Denticles from holotype in MCZ 89511. Type locality: [Nossos mares] Portugal, northeastern Atlantic.

Local synonymy: Centroscymnus crepidater: Compagno et al., 1989: 32, pl.; Compagno et al., 1991: 58; Ebert et al., 1992: 604; Compagno, 1999: 115. Centroselachus crepidater: Compagno et al., 2005: 113, fig., pl. 10;

Ebert, 2013: 92, fig. 129; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 152, fig., pl. 13; Ebert & Mostada, 2013: 39, fig.; Ebert, 2015: 91, fig. 108; Ebert & Mostada, 2015: 35, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; White et al., 2015: 214; Compagno, 2016: 1196; Weigmann, 2016: 899; Weigmann et al., 2016b: 642.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 25724, SAIAB 26278, SAIAB 26279, SAIAB 26280, SAIAB 26281, SAIAB 26337, SAIAB 27599, SAIAB 27600, SAIAB 27602.

South Africa distribution: The Orange River (NC) to Cape Agulhas (WC), but not yet confirmed from the EC or KZN.

Remarks: First reported in South African waters by Compagno et al. (1989) and Compagno et al. (1991); previous southern African records were from off Namibia (Bass et al., 1976; Bass et al., 1986). Although the species has not been reported from the EC or KZN, it is quite common east of South Africa along the Madagascar Ridge. A somewhat common species along the upper continental slope, C. crepidater appears to be a faunal associate of C. coelolepis since both species are frequently collected together (Compagno et al., 1991).

Conservation status: NT (2020).