Myliobatis aquila ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

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 : 98-99

Myliobatis aquila ( Linnaeus, 1758)

Bull Ray

Raja aquila Linnaeus, 1758: 232 . No known types. Type locality: Mediterranean Sea and Northeastern Atlantic [original: “in Mari Mediterraneo”]

Local synonymy: Myliobatis aquila: Bleeker, 1860b: 59 ; Duméril, 1865: 634; Gilchrist, 1902: 169; Thompson, 1914: 165; Gilchrist & Thompson, 1916: 280; von Bonde & Swart, 1923: 17; Barnard, 1925: 82, fig. 7, pl.4; von Bonde, 1934: 17; Smith, 1935: 169; Barnard, 1947: 28, fig. 6, pl. 4; Smith, 1949a: 69 (doubtful from southern Africa); Smith, 1965: 69 (doubtful from southern Africa); Wallace, 1967c: 17, fig. 8; Compagno, 1986: 133, fig. 28.2, pl. 5; Compagno et al., 1989: 112, pl.; Compagno et al., 1991: 108; Compagno, 1999: 117; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 86; Mann, 2013: 132; NPOA, 2013: 59; da Silva et al., 2015: 247; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 148; Weigmann, 2016: 986; White & Last, 2016a: 715, fig. 30.8. Myliobatis cervus: Smith, 1935: 169 , fig. 1 (original description; syntypes missing); Smith, 1949a: 68, fig. 75, pl. 3; Smith, 1965: 68, fig. 75, pl. 3. Holorhinus aquila: Fowler, 1941: 459 . Holorhinus cervus: Fowler, 1941: 460 .

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 2860, SAIAB 7844, SAIAB 10423, SAIAB 12111, SAIAB 12842, SAIAB 19823, SAIAB 19864, SAIAB 26451, SAIAB 26452, SAIAB 26453, SAIAB 26504, SAIAB 26505, SAIAB 26961, SAIAB 44344, SAIAB 44345, SAIAB 44346, SAIAB 44347, SAIAB 44350, SAIAB 44352, SAIAB 48515, SAIAB 50843, SAIAB 207767.

South African distribution: The Orange River (NC) to at least Durban, KZN.

Remarks: Smith (1935) described a new species Myliobatis cervus from two specimens (designated syntypes) caught off Knysna (WC). In subsequent publications, Smith (1949 a, 1965) commented that he doubted the European M. aquila occurred in the region and used the presence of orbital horns to distinguish his new species ( Smith, 1961a). However, Wallace (1967c) reviewed the issue and concluded that the taxonomic value of the horns was dubious and was a secondary sexual characteristic; a conclusion agreed with by contemporary researchers ( Compagno, 1986; Compagno et al., 1989; White & Last, 2016). See “Local synonymy” above for full accounting.

Conservation status: DD (2009).