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Sharks, Skates, Rays and Chimaeras of Namibia. An identification guide.

March 2024

Publisher: Namibia Nature Foundation
ISBN: 978-99945-98-08-3

Authors:

University College Dublin

A fully illustrated guide to the 88 species of sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras known to inhabit Namibian waters. Each species account includes morphology, maximum size, distribution and habitat type, threats and the species' status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

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SHARKS 1

Sharks, Skates,

Rays

Chimaeras

of Namibia

An identication guide

By Ruth H. Leeney

Illustrations by Alexis Aronson

Sharks, Skates,

Rays

Chimaeras

of Namibia

An identication guide

By Ruth H. Leeney

Illustrations by Alexis Aronson

First published in 2024 by Namibia Nature Foundaon

76 & 78 Frans Indongo Street, Windhoek

PO Box 245, Windhoek, Namibia

www.nnf.org.na

Design and layout, including cover: Marissa Cuenoud

Prinng and binding: John Meinert (Pty) Ltd, Windhoek

Illustraons: Alexis Aronson

Copy-editor: Ruth H. Leeney

This idencaon guide has been created with support from the Shark Conservaon Fund, a

project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Disclaimer: The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and

informaon in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publicaon. The

publisher, authors and editors do not give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to

the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made.

or transmied, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording

or otherwise, without prior permission of the publishers.

Suggested reference: Ruth H. Leeney. 2024. Sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras of Namibia.

An idencaon guide. Illustrated by Alexis Aronson. Namibia Nature Foundaon, Windhoek.

106 pp.

ISBN: 978-99945-98-08-3 (electronic version)

People protect what they love, they love what they understand,

and they understand what they’re taught. - Jacques Cousteau

For everyone commied to learning about, understanding and protecng the ocean.

6 7

CONTENTS

Introducon ........................................................................................ 01

Introducon to Chondrichthyans .................................................. 02

How this species list was created .................................................. 04

How to use this guide ....................................................................... 04

External morphology of chondrichthyans ................................... 06

Species guide

1. SHARKS ............................................................................... 09

Frilled sharks Family Chlamydoselachidae .................... 10

Cow sharks Family Hexanchidae ..................................... 11

Bramble sharks Family Echinorhinidae ........................... 14

Dogsh sharks Family Squalidae ..................................... 15

Gulper sharks Family Centrophoridae ............................ 18

Lanternsharks Family Etmopteridae ............................... 24

Sleeper sharks Family Somniosidae ................................ 30

Rough sharks Family Oxynodae .................................... 35

Kiten sharks Family Dalaidae ...................................... 36

Sawsharks Family Prisophoridae ................................... 37

Angelsharks Family Squanidae ...................................... 38

Sandger shark Family Carchariidae .............................. 40

Crocodile shark Family Pseudocarchariidae ................. 41

Thresher sharks Family Alopiidae ................................... 42

Basking shark Family Cetorhinidae ................................. 44

Mackerel sharks Family Lamnidae .................................. 45

Deepsea catsharks Family Petanchidae ........................ 48

Catsharks Family Scyliorhinidae ...................................... 53

False catsharks Family Pseudotriakidae ......................... 55

Houndsharks Family Triakidae ......................................... 56

Requiem sharks Family Carcharhinidae ......................... 60

Hammerhead sharks Family Sphyrnidae ....................... 64

2. SKATES AND RAYS ............................................................ 65

Guitarshes Family Rhinobadae .................................... 66

Sleeper rays Family Narkidae ........................................... 67

Torpedo rays Family Torpedinidae .................................. 68

Sonosed skates Family Arhynchobadae ................... 69

Skates Family Rajidae ......................................................... 70

Pygmy skates Family Gurgesiellidae ............................... 84

Sngrays Family Dasyadae ............................................. 85

Buery rays Family Gymnuridae .................................. 89

Eagle rays Family Myliobadae ....................................... 90

3. CHIMAERAS ........................................................................ 91

Plough-nosed chimaeras Family Callorhinchidae ........ 92

Short-nosed chimaeras Family Chimaeridae ................ 93

Long-nosed chimaeras Family Rhinochimaeridae ....... 97

Glossary ............................................................................................... 100

Index: Common names .................................................................... 102

Index: Scienc names .................................................................... 103

Acknowledgements .......................................................................... 104

References and addional resources ............................................ 105

INTRODUCTION

The Benguela Current Ecosystem, which runs along the west coast of South Africa, the enre

Namibian coastline and into southern Angola, is one of the world’s most producve marine

ecosystems and supports a huge array of marine life, including seabirds, cetaceans (whales and

dolphins), Cape fur seals and chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras). However,

almost no research has focused on chondrichthyans in Namibia to date, meaning we know

remarkably lile about which species are found in Namibian waters, where their key habitats are,

the roles they play in food webs and the threats they face.

This publicaon is the rst ever idencaon guide focusing on chondrichthyans in Namibian

waters. Previously published guides which included chondrichthyans have covered all marine

‘resources’ in Namibian waters (Bianchi et al. 1999), or have covered ‘southern Africa’ (e.g.

Compagno et al. 1989), a large region encompassing two signicantly dierent current systems

and assemblages of species. Based on an up-to-date species list, this guide includes only species

that have been conrmed (from at least one reliable record) to occur in Namibian waters.

This guide is intended for a wide readership, including any member of the public interested in

learning more about Namibia’s sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras. However, one of the primary

drivers for producing this guide was to support researchers and students of marine life in Namibia,

in research acvies focusing on chondrichthyans. The purpose of this guide is therefore twofold.

For the general public, we hope that this guide will serve to increase their fascinaon in sharks

and their relaves, and deepen understanding amongst Namibians of the incredible diversity of

life found just beyond the coastline. For Namibia’s scienc community, including researchers,

sheries observers and students of biology and sheries science, this guide will be an invaluable

reference for idenfying animals caught as bycatch (incidental catch of non-target species) in

shing gears and chondrichthyan specimens captured or recorded during scienc surveys. We

hope that this resource will support students, researchers and managers to conduct high-quality

research on chondrichthyans in Namibian waters, and that the resulng informaon contributes

to management and conservaon acons that ensure a healthy, producve ocean for the benet

of all Namibians.

INTRODUCTION

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

02 INTRODUCTION TO CHONDRICHTHYANS

Chondrichthyan (pronounced kon-drik-thee-yan) is the term

used to refer to any member of the class Chondrichthyes, which

is a diverse group of jawed shes with mulple gill openings

and simple, exible, carlaginous skeletons. Sharks, skates,

rays and chimaeras (pronounced ky-mee-ra; somemes called

holocephalans, ratsh or ghost sharks) are all chondrichthyans.

The term elasmobranch (pronounced eh-laz-moh-brank) is

somemes used to refer to sharks, skates and rays.

Chondrichthyans inhabit every ocean around the world, from the

poles to the tropics, and play a vital role in maintaining the health

of marine ecosystems. Worldwide, there are at least 536 species

of shark, around 670 species of skate and ray and at least 52

species of chimaera, although new species are described every

year. The majority of chondrichthyans inhabit marine waters, but

some also live in brackish water (estuaries) and a few live only

in freshwater habitats. They inhabit a vast array of depths, from

shallow coastal waters to the deepest parts of the ocean.

Once regarded by shers as an undesirable catch, elasmobranchs

are now commonly caught in many industrial and small-scale

sheries around the world. This may be in part because of the

diversicaon of uses for various shark and ray products – there

are now well-established markets for products including shark

ns, the meat from many shark and ray species, and gill rakers

from mobulids (manta rays and devil rays). However, the main

driver for the increase in capture and retenon of sharks and rays

is undoubtedly the decline in populaons of the shes historically

targeted by sheries. As the sh species that humans have

tradionally caught and eaten decline due to overshing, many

sheries are turning to chondrichthyans - mainly sharks, skates

and rays - as a primary commercial resource.

Why are sharks, skates, rays and

chimaeras important?

Sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras are an important part of life

in ocean ecosystems. An ecosystem is the biological community

of interacng organisms and their physical environment. In the

ocean, there are many dierent marine ecosystems - from dal

rock pools and coastal kelp forests, to deep, oshore waters.

Each ecosystem has a parcular combinaon of species which

interact to form a food web - an interdependent network of

INTRODUCTION TO CHONDRICHTHYANS

producers (in the ocean, primary producers include seaweeds

and phytoplankton), prey and predators. Some species of

chondrichthyan, like great white sharks, are top predators. Other

species are predators in the middle of the food web - they eat

smaller animals but are themselves preyed upon by larger species.

And some, including the huge basking shark, feed on some of the

niest organisms in the ocean – plankton. Each species has a role

in keeping the ecosystem in balance. Healthy marine ecosystems

are those that are in balance, with just the right proporons

of producers, prey and predators. They are biodiverse and

producve. In contrast, if the balance is disrupted in an ecosystem

– for example by overshing of parcular species, causing their

populaons to shrink or even disappear – this has a knock-on

eect on all the other species in that ecosystem, which in turn

aects the health of the ecosystem. An unbalanced marine

ecosystem is one that may not funcon as well as it should – it

may become less producve or absorb less carbon dioxide, for

example.

Many chondrichthyans mature late in life and do not produce large

numbers of young (unlike other sh species which can produce

hundreds of thousands of eggs in a single spawning event). For

this reason, many chondrichthyan species can be overshed very

easily, and their populaons can take a long me to recover from

overshing. Excessive mortality in unsustainable, unregulated

sheries (both those targeng sharks and their relaves, and

those sheries that catch them accidentally), is the greatest

threat to chondrichthyans worldwide. Species found in shallow

water, coastal and open ocean habitats are the most seriously

threatened because this is where shing pressure is highest.

Habitat damage through development and polluon in coastal

waters and rivers contributes to the decline of some species, and

climate breakdown is likely to also pose a threat.

We need a healthy ocean because as humans, we rely on the

ocean in many ways. Most obviously, it is a source of food and

employment for shers and many others who work in the sh

processing and aquaculture sectors. The growing level of carbon

dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere, produced when we burn fossil

fuels (in our cars and power plants, for example), is causing our

planet’s climate to change. But a healthy ocean absorbs CO2,

and thus helps in the ght against climate breakdown. Thriving

marine ecosystems full of marine life like whales, dolphins and

sea birds support many jobs in tourism, and clean beaches and

coastal areas where people can go shing, surf, swim and relax

are important for our overall well being and quality of life.

Conservaon status of chondrichthyans in

Namibia

Recent research suggests that over a third of all chondrichthyan

species worldwide (at least 391 species) are threatened with

exncon (Dulvy et al. 2021), making them amongst the most

threatened of the world’s vertebrates. Of the 88 species of

chondrichthyan (55 sharks, 25 batoids and 8 chimaera species)

recorded from Namibian waters, 5 species are listed as Crically

Endangered, 11 as Endangered and 13 as Vulnerable on the

IUCN Red List of Endangered Species1. That means that one

third of all species known from Namibian waters are threatened

(classied as Crically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable).

These classicaons are explained in more detail on page 5.

Why do research on chondrichthyans?

Sharks and their relaves are important components of marine

and coastal ecosystems, but they have, unl recently, been paid

very lile aenon in Namibia. It is important to do research

The proporons of Namibia’s 88 chondrichthyan species which are listed as Crically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU),

Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC) and Data Decient (DD) on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. The iIllustraons show an

example species from each category.

1 The IUCN Red List is a crical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. www.iucnredlist.org

not just on commercial sh species, but on the many other

species in marine ecosystems, including chondrichthyans.

Research and monitoring allow us to track the status of these

species over me, to understand which areas are especially

sensive (such as sh breeding grounds, or areas used by

endangered species), and to assess whether certain acvies,

like polluon, coastal development, coastal and oshore mining,

and exploraon and drilling for oil and gas, negavely aect

marine species or habitats. Research can also provide insight

into the roles that chondrichthyans play in keeping ecosystems

healthy and producve. In addion, some sharks and skates are

shed commercially in Namibian waters and therefore make an

important contribuon to the country’s economy. Research to

document the size and movements of those populaons, and

monitoring how they change over me and the shing pressure

they can withstand, will be essenal to ensure sustainable shark

and skate sheries in the long term.

Ulmately, research and monitoring are essenal in developing

an understanding of how to use the ocean’s resources wisely and

sustainably, now and in the future, for the benet of all Namibians.

Broadnose sevengill shark

Notorynchus cepedianus

Biscuit skate

Raja straeleni

Basking shark

Cetorhinus maximus

Sawback angelshark

Squana aculeata

West African catshark

Scyliorhinus cervigoni

Black dogsh

Centroscyllium fabricii

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

04 05

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

There has been almost no research focusing on chondrichthyans

in Namibian waters, meaning that there has, unl now, never been

a comprehensive species checklist for the country. A species list

was compiled by combining informaon from regional catalogues

and guides, literature accounts, museum voucher specimens, and

original data gathered by David Ebert (Compagno et al. 1989;

Compagno et al. 1991; Compagno and Ebert 2007; Ebert 2015;

Ebert and van Hees 2015; Ebert et al. 2021). Several species have

also been added to this guide, based on data collected during

research acvies led by the Namibia’s Rays and Sharks project

(between 2022 and 2024). The resulng list of species is the rst

evidence-based, comprehensive species list for chondrichthyans

in Namibian waters. Future research in Namibia may reveal the

presence of addional species but for now, we hope that this

guide serves to support researchers in launching the rst excing

era of chondrichthyan research in Namibian waters.

For each species that features in this guide, rather than providing

a comprehensive summary of everything that is known, key

informaon is provided on the appearance of each species and the

areas where it is found. This informaon, alongside the illustraon,

is intended to help readers to idenfy a chondrichthyan they may

have caught, recorded on camera or otherwise encountered.

Informaon for each species is provided under the following

headings:

Common name - Given in English and (where it exists) in

Afrikaans.

Scienc name - This is the formal name used by sciensts and

is unique to each species. By contrast, some common names can

be used for several species of shark, which can cause confusion

when recording scienc informaon.

Descripon - Includes descripons of body shape and other

physical features, such as shape and posion of ns, that will help

disnguish this species from similar species.

Colour - Descripon of colouraon and any paerning.

Size - Maximum total length (TL) for sharks, skates and chimaeras;

maximum disc width (DW) for rays. Maximum body length (BDL)

is also included for chimaeras.

Distribuon - This describes the known global distribuon of the

species.

Habitat - A descripon of the type of habitat in which the species

is usually found, including depth range.

Threats - This secon lists documented threats to the species

throughout its range, based mainly on IUCN Red List assessments.

Species-specic threats in Namibian waters are also menoned, if

there is supporng research-based evidence.

IUCN Red List status - The Red List category (see below for

further details) assigned to the species, as of 20232.

HOW THIS SPECIES

LIST WAS CREATED

HOW TO USE THIS

GUIDE Notes - Includes guidance on how to disnguish this species from

similar, sympatric species; notes on any revisions in taxonomy and

previous scienc names for the species.

Eggcase - For oviparous species (those that produce eggcases,

i.e. all skate and chimaera species, and some shark species),

morphology and dimensions of eggcases are provided, where

known. In some cases, no published informaon was available

upon which to base a descripon or illustraon.

The IUCN Red List

The IUCN Red List is the world’s most comprehensive informaon

source on the global conservaon status of animal, fungi and plant

species. It provides informaon about range, populaon size,

habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservaon

acons that will help inform necessary conservaon decisions. It

is therefore a powerful tool that can inform and catalyse acon

for biodiversity conservaon and policy change, which are crical

to protecng the natural resources we need to survive.

Simple denion of the IUCN Red List categories:

Crically Endangered, extremely high risk of imminent

exncon in the wild.

Endangered; very high risk of exncon in the wild.

Vulnerable; high risk of exncon in the wild.

Near Threatened; coming close to qualifying as a

threatened category.

Least Concern; lowest risk, does not qualify for an

at-risk category. Species that are widespread and

abundant are included in this category.

Data Decient; inadequate informaon at present to

make an informed assessment of the species’ exncon

risk.

Not Evaluated; as yet not assessed for exncon risk.

The IUCN Red List is not a list of species that are high priories

for conservaon acon. Exncon risk is an important factor

to consider when determining which species to invest in, but

dening conservaon priories ulmately depends on numerous

other important factors, including nancial, cultural, logiscal,

biological, ethical and social consideraons, to ensure that any

conservaon acons are as implementable and eecve as

possible.

More informaon on the IUCN Red List, and more detailed

informaon on the biology, distribuon, life history and

conservaon status of individual chondrichthyan species, is

available online at www.iucnredlist.org.

A note from the author and illustrator

The illustraons provided by this guide have been based on

both available photographs of each species, and the detailed

descripons of their morphologies documented by taxonomists.

However, for many species, especially those that inhabit deeper

waters, good-quality images are very scarce. In some cases,

only one photograph, of a dead animal or preserved museum

specimen, may be available. We have worked together to ensure

that the illustraons in this guide are as representave as possible,

but in some cases they may not be enrely representave. In

some species there is also considerable morphological variaon

between juvenile and adult life stages and between males and

females. We therefore encourage users of this guide to use both

the illustraons and the descripve text to idenfy specimens.

The descripons of the species provided in this guide are based

largely on the descripons published by taxonomists in several

excellent idencaon guides and many more scienc papers

(see the References secon for details), as well as the Red List

assessments produced by the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. We

gratefully acknowledge the invaluable work of these researchers

and hope that, by presenng condensed and accessible versions

of those accounts in this publicaon, their work can reach new

audiences in Namibia and can support research in this lile-

studied part of the Atlanc Ocean.

2 Each assessment only has a lifespan of 10 years and therefore over me, the Red List status provided for many of the species in this guide may change. As such, the IUCN

Red List category for each species in this guide should be updated in future edions or revised versions of this guide.

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

06 07

EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY OF CHONDRICHTHYANS

Sharks

EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY OF

CHONDRICHTHYANS

snout nostril eye

precaudal length (PCL)

total length (TL)

rst dorsal n

second dorsal n

precaudal pit

caudal n

caudal keel

anal n

pelvic n

pectoral n

gill openings

labial furrows

head trunk tail

mouth

Fig. 1: External morphology of a shark (female) - lateral view.

Chimaeras

Fig. 3: External morphology of a chimaera (male).

Batoids (skates and rays)

pectoral n

scapular thorns

median thorns

malar thorns

alar thorns

nuchal thorns

spiracle eye nasal apertures

mouth

gill slits

cloaca

1st dorsal n

2nd dorsal n

pelvic n anterior lobe

pelvic n posterior lobe

Fig. 2: External morphology of a skate (family Rajidae). (a) Dorsal surface; (b) ventral surface.

cloaca

juvenile malemature malefemale

clasper

Fig. 4: Determining the sex of a chondrichthyan - ventral view of pelvic n area.

cloaca

head length

prepelvic

tenaculum

pectoral n

gill opening

operculum

mouth

snout

frontal

tenaculum

lateral-line

canals

dorsal spine

1st dorsal n

2nd dorsal n

caudal n

caudal lament

clasper

pelvic n

body length

capsule

length

anterior apron

horn

lateral keel

capsule

posterior

horn posterior apron

maximum

width

tail

Fig. 5: Eggcase morphology.

body

total

length

(TL)

08 09

There are around 536 species of sharks worldwide, of which 55 are found in Namibian waters.

They occupy a range of habitats, from rocky, sandy and muddy areas and kelp forests along the

coast, to the oshore waters several hundred metres deep. They range in size from the basking

shark (the second biggest sh species in the world) and the well-known great white shark,

which reach around 11 m and 6 m in length respecvely, to some far smaller species such as

the African sawtail catshark, found in waters up to 700 m deep but measuring just 43 cm in

length, and the dark shyshark, a kelp forest dweller that can reach 70 cm in length.

All sharks have 5–7 pairs of gill openings or slits. These gill slits are on the sides of their head

and their pectoral ns are never fused to the head along their enre length. In contrast, the

gill slits of skates and rays always lie beneath their pectoral ns, which are fused to the sides

of their head. Shark species exhibit a range of body shapes, depending upon their habitat and

feeding strategy, but the majority of sharks in Namibian waters have some variaon on the

typical fusiform body shape (rounded and tapered at both ends).

All sharks reproduce by internal ferlisaon, in contrast to the external spawning behaviour of

most bony shes. Sharks produce a small number of large young with high survival rates. Some

shark species produce eggs which are protected by a tough capsule (called an eggcase) and

contain a large reserve of yolk to feed the developing pup. These eggcases are anchored to the

seabed whilst the pups develop. Other sharks are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live

young. In some viviparous species, unborn pups are aached to a yolk-sac inside the mother,

with no direct maternal supply of nutrion, whilst others have a placental aachment through

which they receive nutrion directly from the mother.

SHARKSSPECIES

IDENTIFICATION

GUIDE

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

10 SHARKS 11

Descripon: Snake-like head with a large terminal mouth

containing widely spaced, slender, three-cusped, needle-sharp

teeth. Elongated, eel-like body. A single low dorsal n, smaller

than the anal n and posioned close to the caudal n; pectoral

ns smaller than pelvic ns. Six gill slits on each side of the body.

Colour: Dark grey, but covered with a thin membrane that gives

it a uniform dark brown colour.

Size: 117 cm.

Distribuon: Angola, Namibia and South Africa.

Habitat: Benthic, epibenthic and pelagic, at depths of 300 to

1,400 m.

Threats: Taken as bycatch in deepwater demersal trawl and

longline sheries, parcularly in northern Namibia. Catch data

from trawl sheries suggest very few shery interacons with

southern frill sharks in South African waters.

Notes: This species is morphologically very similar to

Chlamydoselachus anguineus, which also occurs in the Atlanc

Ocean but is generally considered not to occur o Namibia

or South Africa. However, the collecon of ssue samples,

photographs and measurements is encouraged wherever

possible when a frill shark is encountered, to allow for accurate

idencaon. In C. africana, the length of the head is more than

17% of the total length of the shark.

Chlamydoselachus africana

SOUTHERN FRILL SHARK / AFRICAN FRILL SHARK

Descripon: Seven gill slits. Slender body and acutely pointed

head with a narrow mouth and large eyes. Single dorsal n.

Colour: Brownish-grey to olive above and lighter below. Juveniles

have black dorsal n apex which fades with growth.

Size: 139 cm.

Distribuon: Globally in tropical and temperate waters.

Habitat: Mainly deep waters, to a maximum depth of 1,000 m.

Threats: Bycaught in industrial and arsanal sheries including

demersal trawl, pelagic drinet, longline and gillnet sheries

throughout its range. Commonly encountered as bycatch in

boom trawl sheries in Namibia.

Heptranchias perlo

SHARPNOSE SEVENGILL SHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

12 SHARKS 13

Descripon: Large, heavy body; broad head with a wide, blunt

snout when viewed from above. Wide mouth; small, white-ringed

eyes. So, exible ns; pale lateral line and pale posterior edges

to ns.

Colour: Grey or medium brown to blackish; somemes darker

spots on sides.

Size: At least 482 cm.

Distribuon: A patchy worldwide distribuon in tropical,

temperate and boreal waters.

Habitat: A demersal species found on the slope, shelf, and

occasionally inshore. Mostly at depths of 200 to 1,100 m but up

to 2,490 m. It also occurs on seamounts and mid-ocean ridges

and is oen associated with areas of high biological producvity

and upwelling.

Threats: Infrequently reported as targeted and incidental catch

from industrial and arsanal demersal trawl, longline, handline,

traps, and gillnet sheries throughout its range. Encountered as

bycatch in demersal trawl sheries in Namibia.

Seskieaai

Hexanchus griseus

BLUNTNOSE SIXGILL SHARK

Descripon: Seven gill slits. Blunt, rounded, broad head, wide

mouth and small eyes. Single small dorsal n set far along the

back; black dorsal n apex on newborn sharks fades with age.

Colour: Grey to brown body; numerous small black spots

(occasionally white spots or none) on body and ns.

Size: 296 cm.

Distribuon: Patchy global distribuon in the South Atlanc and

Indo-Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Inshore, cool, temperate waters to depths of 570 m;

oen found very close to shore.

Threats: Infrequently reported as target and incidental catch

from industrial and arsanal demersal trawl, longline, and gillnet

sheries across its range. Regularly captured by recreaonal

anglers in Namibia. May be suscepble to coastal development

and environmental changes, given its reliance on inshore habitats.

Platneus sewekieaai

Notorynchus cepedianus

BROADNOSE SEVENGILL SHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

14 SHARKS 15

Descripon: Large-sized with heavy cylindrical body, aened

head; broad and short snout. Irregular, scaered, whish coarse

spiky dencles or enlarged tack-like dencles (which can fuse into

plates) all over the body. Spiracles very small and far behind eyes.

Two small, spineless, posteriorly placed dorsal ns posioned

close together; rst dorsal n origin over or behind pelvic-n

origins. Pectoral ns low, broadly rounded; pelvic ns as large

as or slightly larger than pectoral ns, and more than twice size

of dorsal ns. No anal n. Peduncle compressed, very short; no

lateral keels or precaudal pits. Fin edges blackish.

Colour: Uniformly grey or brownish to black on back and sides;

usually light below.

Size: 394 cm.

Distribuon: Circumglobal but sparse, in cold-temperate to

tropical seas.

Habitat: On or near the boom, usually between 200 and 900 m

but may be found closer to shore.

Threats: Taken as both targeted and incidental catch across its

range in demersal trawl, longline, and setnet sheries. The species

is infrequently reported across most of its range. In Namibia, this

species has been recorded as bycatch in the boom trawl shery

for hake, and at least one bramble shark has been caught by a

shore-based angler in Namibia. When caught by anglers, they

should be handled carefully and released immediately.

Braamhaai

Echinorhinus brucus

BRAMBLE SHARK

Descripon: Slender, narrow head and long, pointed snout; no

barbels. First dorsal n fairly long and low with a slender, short

dorsal spine; origin usually behind pectoral n rear ps. Second

dorsal n spine p at the same height or higher than n apex.

No subterminal notch on caudal n; no precaudal pit on caudal

peduncle.

Colour: Greyish to blue-grey above, oen has white spots on

back and sides. Lighter to white below. Black dorsal n ps in

young.

Size: 200 cm (highly variable amongst populaons).

Distribuon: Worldwide (except North Pacic Ocean, western

Indian Ocean, tropical waters and near the poles).

Habitat: Boreal to warm-temperate connental and insular

shelves and somemes slopes, between 0 and 1,978 m. Between

0 and 200 m in epipelagic cold water.

Threats: Taken as targeted and incidental catch by hand line,

demersal gillnet, trawl, dredge, and longline in arsanal, industrial,

and recreaonal sheries throughout its range. Targeted shing

pressure in the Atlanc Ocean has declined signicantly but the

species is sll suscepble to capture as bycatch in mul-species

sheries. Coastal development, polluon, dredging, and boom

trawling aect coastal or demersal habitat that the species’ prey

relies on.

Doringhaai/ Spikkel-penhaai

Squalus acanthias

SPINY DOGFISH / PIKED DOGFISH

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

16 SHARKS 17

Descripon: Small, slender shark with short, angular snout.

Height of rst dorsal n is two-thirds or less of n length, with

moderately high spine; originates over pectoral ns. Second dorsal

n spine p at the same height as n apex. Upper precaudal pit

and lateral keels present on caudal peduncle. No subterminal

notch on caudal n.

Colour: Unspoed grey-bronze back and sides; lighter below.

Black ps and white posterior margins of dorsal ns, which fade

in adults. Caudal n with light dorsal margin.

Size: 77 cm.

Distribuon: Namibia to the east coast of South Africa; possibly

present in the western Indian Ocean.

Habitat: Inshore to upper connental slopes, to 450 m depth.

Newborns pelagic; adults benthic.

Threats: Trawl sheries operate throughout this species’ range

and it is captured frequently as bycatch in demersal trawl sheries

targeng hake in South Africa. It is caught at least occasionally

as bycatch in the Namibian boom trawl shery for hake. The

species is also caught occasionally by recreaonal anglers in

Namibia, but usually released alive. There is some evidence of a

southward range shi for this species in South Africa, possibly as

a result of climate change. This may represent a signicant loss

of habitat to a species which already has a restricted southern

African distribuon.

Notes: This species was formerly known as S. megalops.

Stompneus penhaai

Squalus acupinnis

BLUNTNOSE SPINY DOGFISH / BLUNTNOSE SPURDOG

Descripon: A stout-bodied, large dogsh. Long angular snout;

distance from snout p to inner nasal margin longer than distance

from inner edge of nostril to front of upper labial furrows. Height

of rst dorsal n is two-thirds or less of n length. First dorsal

spine shorter than n base, lower than n p, originang above

inner margin of pectoral n.

Colour: Pearly-grey to brownish above; no light-coloured spots

on anks; white-edged ns. White below.

Size: 110 cm.

Distribuon: Southern African endemic. Occurs in the Southeast

Atlanc between southern Namibia and the Northern Cape,

South Africa, on the east coast of South Africa and possibly in

southern Mozambique.

Habitat: Outer connental shelf and upper slope at depths of

159 to 591 m.

Threats: Frequently bycaught in demersal trawl and longline

sheries, but usually discarded.

Notes: This species was formerly known as S. mitsukurii.

Squalus bassi

LONGNOSE AFRICAN SPINY DOGFISH /

LONGSNOUTED AFRICAN SPURDOG

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

18 SHARKS 19

Descripon: Short, thick snout and smooth skin. First dorsal n

relavely low and long; second dorsal n shorter but nearly as

high as rst dorsal; both dorsal ns with grooved spines. Pectoral

n free rear ps long and acute; no anal n.

Colour: Dark grey or greyish-brown above, lighter below. Fins

without disnct markings in adults; dorsal and caudal ns of

juveniles usually much darker and somemes with a white

posterior margin.

Size: 176 cm.

Distribuon: Atlanc, Indian and West and Southwest Pacic

Oceans.

Habitat: On or near the seaoor on connental and insular

shelves and slope; 50 to 1,500 m.

Threats: Gulper sharks are an important component of commercial

target and bycatch sheries and are caught with longlines,

trawls and gillnets. Their conservaon status is poorly known

but they have a limited reproducve capacity (small liers, long

gestaon periods, slow growth and late maturity) which makes

them suscepble to overshing. Unmanaged and unmonitored

deepwater sheries therefore pose a signicant threat to gulper

sharks. Gulper sharks are caught as bycatch in boom trawl

sheries in Namibia and anecdotal evidence suggests that at least

occasionally, shers remove the livers of these sharks and extract

the liver oil.

Notes: Small C. granulosus may be confused with C. uyato, but

the shape of the rst dorsal n can be used to disnguish the

two species. C. granulosus has a longer, lower rst dorsal n than

C. uyato, which has a shorter and more triangular rst dorsal n.

Centrophorus granulosus

GULPER SHARK

Descripon: Rough skin; short, thick, slightly aened snout.

Large eyes, green when alive. First dorsal n long and low;

shorter and higher second dorsal, both with grooved spines.

Short pectoral n free rear ps; no anal n. Caudal n posterior

margin slightly concave.

Colour: Uniformly dark grey, grey-brown or reddish-brown; dusky

ns and no prominent markings.

Size: 166 cm.

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy global distribuon in

Atlanc and Indo-Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Demersal on connental and insular shelves and slopes

to the abyss at depths of 0 to 3,366 m, but mostly at depths

greater than 200 m.

Threats: Gulper sharks are an important component of commercial

target and bycatch sheries. They are caught with longlines,

trawls and gillnets. Their conservaon status is poorly known

but they have a limited reproducve capacity (small liers, long

gestaon periods, slow growth and late maturity) which makes

them suscepble to overshing. Unmanaged and unmonitored

deepwater sheries therefore pose a signicant threat to all

gulper sharks, including the leafscale gulper shark. This species is

caught at least occasionally in boom trawl sheries in Namibia.

Gryns-hondhaai

Centrophorus squamosus

LEAFSCALE GULPER SHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

20 SHARKS 21

Descripon: Slender body, moderately long head with relavely

short snout. Large eyes, green when alive. First dorsal n

originates behind pectoral n inseron and is slightly higher and

longer than second dorsal n. First dorsal n base less than 15%

of total length (TL). Both dorsal ns with grooved spines; no anal

n.

Colour: Uniform greyish-brown above; lighter below. Juveniles

have dark markings on dorsal and caudal ns.

Size: At least 112 cm, possibly up to 128 cm.

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy global distribuon in

Mediterranean Sea, Atlanc and Indo-Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Demersal on connental and insular shelves and slopes

at depths of 115 to 745 m, possibly to 1,400 m, but mostly

between 400 and 800 m.

Threats: Taken as both targeted and incidental catch across its

range in mid-water and demersal trawl, surface and demersal

longline, and setnet sheries. Its conservaon status is poorly

understood but limited reproducve capacity (a single pup per

lier) makes this species very suscepble to overshing.

Notes: This species may be confused with small C. granulosus

specimens. The shape of the rst dorsal n can be used to

disnguish the two species; C. granulosus has a longer, lower rst

dorsal n than C. uyato, which has a shorter and more triangular

rst dorsal n.

Centrophorus uyato

LITTLE GULPER SHARK

Descripon: Extremely long, at snout, rough skin. First dorsal n

low and long with a short spine; originates over bases of pectoral

ns. Second dorsal n shorter and higher with a longer spine. No

anal n and no sub-caudal keel.

Colour: Uniform black-brown to grey-brown or light grey; no

obvious markings. Fin webs dusky to dark grey.

Size: 162 cm.

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy global distribuon in

Atlanc and Indo-Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Connental and insular shelves and slopes, between 60

and 1,504 m.

Threats: Has been taken as both targeted and incidental catch

across its range, in midwater and demersal trawl, demersal

longline, and gillnet sheries. Species in the genus Deania were

historically exploited commercially. At-vessel mortality is high

and post-release mortality is also likely to be high. Deania species

are occasionally reported in logbooks in demersal inshore and

oshore hake trawl sheries in South African waters, and this

species is commonly caught as bycatch in the hake boom trawl

shery in Namibia.

Notes: References in the literature to D. crepidalbus and D.

hystricosa are thought to refer to D. calceus. This species appears

in some guides as Deania calcea.

Deania calceus

BIRDBEAK DOGFISH

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

22 SHARKS 23

Descripon: Extremely long, at snout; smooth skin. Subcaudal

keel present (disnguishes this species from other Deania species).

First dorsal n relavely short and high and bearing short spine,

second dorsal similar but taller, with much higher spine.

Colour: Uniformly dark grey or brown.

Size: 97 cm.

Distribuon: Patchily distributed in parts of the eastern Atlanc

(Western Sahara to South Africa), western Atlanc and Indo-west

Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Connental and insular slopes at depths of 205 to

1,800 m.

Threats: Has been taken as both targeted catch and bycatch

throughout its range in midwater and demersal trawl, demersal

longline, and gillnet sheries. Species in the genus Deania were

historically exploited commercially. At-vessel mortality is high,

and post-release mortality is also likely to be high. Deania species

are occasionally reported in logbooks in demersal inshore and

oshore hake trawl sheries o South Africa, and D. profondorum

is a common bycatch of the boom trawl shery for hake in

Namibia.

Deania profundorum

ARROWHEAD DOGFISH

Descripon: Rough skin; extremely long, at snout. No subcaudal

keel. First dorsal n high, angular and short; second dorsal n

higher with longer spine.

Colour: Grey, grey-brown or blackish. Fins somemes have white

edges.

Size: 118 cm.

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc, western Pacic and Indian

Oceans.

Habitat: Demersal on connental and insular shelves and slopes

at depths of 150 to 1,360 m, usually at depths greater than

400 m.

Threats: Has been taken as both targeted and incidental catch

across its range in midwater and demersal trawl, demersal

longline, and gillnet sheries. It is likely to be misreported with

similar looking Deania species. May be one of the deep-water

shark species reported as bycatch from Namibian hake sheries,

alongside D. calceus and D. profondorum.

Notes: Not as well documented from Namibia as D. calceus and

D. profondorum.

Deania quadrispinosa

LONGNOSE DOGFISH / LONGSNOUT DOGFISH

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

24 SHARKS 25

Descripon: Fairly stout body; long, compressed abdomen. First

dorsal n somewhat low. First dorsal spine short and second

dorsal spine moderately high. Short caudal peduncle; no anal n.

Arched mouth and large, oval, reecve green eyes.

Colour: Uniformly blackish-brown.

Size: 107 cm.

Distribuon: Widespread throughout the temperate Atlanc

Ocean. In the eastern Atlanc it occurs between Europe and

South Africa.

Habitat: Demersal on the outer connental shelf and slope, at

depths of 130 to 2,250 m.

Threats: Occasionally taken as a bycatch o southern Africa, but

generally occurs in deep waters beyond the hake shery zone.

Not considered to currently be threatened by sheries in the

Southeast Atlanc and likely to have refuge at depth. However,

catch rates should be closely monitored, should sheries expand

into deeper waters.

Centroscyllium fabricii

BLACK DOGFISH

Descripon: Slender body, broad head with long, thick, at

snout. Smooth skin; long caudal n. First dorsal n smaller than

second dorsal n. Faint ank markings which are oen barely or

not visible on bycaught individuals.

Colour: Dark brown or blackish, and darker ventrally. White spot

centred on the top of the head and pale edges to ns.

Size: At least 73 cm.

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy global distribuon in the

Atlanc and Indo-Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Connental and insular shelves and slopes, from the

surface to 1,000 m depth.

Threats: Likely to be taken as bycatch and discarded in demersal

and pelagic sheries throughout much of its range. Captured

regularly as bycatch in the Namibian boom trawl shery for

hake.

Notes: Lanternsharks in the genus Etmopterus oen have

photophores - bioluminescent organs that light up their ns and

other parts of their bodies - on their anks and undersides. The

markings that indicate the locaon of these photophores (also

called photomarks) can be helpful when discerning amongst the

lanternshark species. Lanternsharks can be in poor condion

when observed on shing vessels, due to damage by shing gear.

Etmopterus bigelowi

BLURRED SMOOTH LANTERNSHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

26 SHARKS 27

Descripon: Moderately stout body. Short caudal n.

Inconspicuous black ank markings (photomarks) above and

behind pelvic ns.

Colour: Brown above; rather abruptly transioning to black

below.

Size: 67 cm.

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc and western Indian Oceans,

from Namibia to Mozambique.

Habitat: Benthic or benthopelagic on connental slope at depths

of 383 to 1300 m, but most individuals are found deeper than

600 m.

Threats: No known threats (occurs at depths below current

shing acvies).

Notes: Somemes referred to as E. gracilispinus.

Etmopterus compagnoi

BROWN LANTERNSHARK

Descripon: Heavy-bodied with large, aened head and very

short gill slits. Second dorsal n much higher than rst dorsal;

caudal n short and broad. Conspicuous lines of large rough

dencles on body. If visible, anterior branch of ank photophore

is long, slender and tapering posteriorly; posterior branch broad

and much shorter.

Colour: Grey-brown above, abruptly black below. Black marks

above pelvic n and caudal n base.

Size: 102 cm.

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy distribuon throughout

the Southern Hemisphere. Known from the Southwest and

Southeast Atlanc Ocean, western and eastern Indian Ocean and

Southwest and Southeast Pacic Ocean.

Habitat: Upper connental and insular slopes, and seamounts at

depths of 220 to 1,500 m, but more common below 600 m.

Threats: Taken incidentally in benthic trawl and longline sheries

throughout its range. Caught as bycatch in trawl sheries for hake

o the west coast of South Africa, and possibly also in Namibia.

Etmopterus granulosus

SOUTHERN LANTERNSHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

28 SHARKS 29

Descripon: Fairly slender body; head aened, relavely short

snout. First dorsal n located around mid-back between pectoral

and pelvic ns (whereas it is more anterior in E. bigelowi). First

dorsal spine stout, short and usually lower than rst dorsal n

apex. Second dorsal n nearly twice area of rst dorsal. Fairly

short, broad caudal n. Dermal dencles give body a velvety

texture. Anterior branch of ank photomark much longer than

posterior branch, but may be faint or obscure. Posterior branch

of caudal photomark elongated and blunt-pped.

Colour: Blackish brown body with obscure black ventral markings.

Size: 50 cm.

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy global distribuon in

Atlanc and Indo-Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Connental and insular slopes, between 0 and 1,120 m

and possibly as deep as 1,998 m. Also recorded as epipelagic and

mesopelagic in deep waters.

Threats: Occasionally taken as bycatch in demersal and midwater

trawl, demersal longline, and trammel net sheries across much

of its range. This species is most abundant in waters of around

400 m depth, thus within the current depth range of deep-water

shing acvies.

Notes: This species is more commonly encountered than E.

bigelowi. In E. bigelowi, dorsal n is closer to head; distance from

pectoral n inseron to rst dorsal n base is three or more mes

length of interdorsal space.

Etmopterus pusillus

SMOOTH LANTERNSHARK

Descripon: Moderately large. Dencles in linear rows on head

and extending to anks and caudal n base give body a sculpted,

textured appearance. Lateral ank photomark with anterior

branch about equal to or slightly longer than posterior branch.

Colour: Dark grey-brown above, black below with well-dened,

narrow, elongated ank markings extending to anterior and

posterior of pelvic ns.

Size: 59 cm.

Distribuon: Southern Africa and seamounts south of

Madagascar.

Habitat: Near boom; 240 to 1,023 m.

Threats: Occasionally caught in demersal trawl sheries. The

majority of the populaon inhabits waters deeper than where

most sheries are acve, and may thus have some refuge there.

Caught at least occasionally as bycatch in the Namibian boom

trawl shery for hake.

Notes: Somemes listed in the literature as E. brachyurus or E.

lucifer.

Etmopterus sculptus

SCULPTED LANTERNSHARK

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30 SHARKS 31

Descripon: Short snout, body stocky; not strongly tapering back

from pectoral n area. Dorsal ns about equal in height and size;

dorsal n spines both very small, with ps just protruding from

ns. Second dorsal n close to caudal n. No anal n. Pre-oral

length (from p of snout to mouth) much shorter than distance

from mouth to line joining points at which rst gill slit on each

side starts (disnguishes this species from C. owstonii).

Colour: Uniformly golden brown to blackish-brown.

Size: 130 cm.

Distribuon: Atlanc, Indian and West Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Connental slopes, upper and middle abyssal plain rises,

on or near seaoor; 128 to 3,675m.

Threats: Taken as both targeted catch and bycatch throughout its

range in demersal trawl, demersal longline, and gillnet sheries.

Somniosid sharks (Centroscymnus spp.) are occasionally reported

in demersal oshore trawl sheries o South Africa. However,

most records of this species are from depths greater than 900

m, which provides the species with some refuge from exisng

sheries.

Notes: Easily confused with Centroscymnus owstonii, but the

laer has a disnct ridge at the base of each side of the body,

and a longer pre-oral length relave to distance from mouth to

rst gill slit. Short dorsal spines can disnguish this species from

Centroscyllium fabricii.

Centroscymnus coelolepis

PORTUGUESE DOGFISH

Descripon: Similar to Centroscymnus coelolepis but longer snout;

longer, lower rst dorsal n and taller, triangular second dorsal

n. No anal n. Dorsal spines barely exposed. When body is

placed on its side, skin on belly typically forms ridge between

pectoral and pelvic ns, which is diagnosc for this species. Pre-

oral length (from p of snout to mouth) about as long as distance

from mouth to line joining points at which rst gill slit starts, on

each side of body.

Colour: Uniformly dark brownish or black, with no conspicuous

markings.

Size: 120 cm.

Distribuon: Atlanc, Indian and Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Upper connental slopes and submarine ridges, on or near

seaoor; 150 to 1,459m. Strongly associated with seamounts.

Threats: Taken incidentally in benthic trawl and longline (surface

and benthic) sheries throughout its range. Regularly taken as

bycatch in the Namibian boom trawl shery for hake.

Notes: Easily confused with Centroscymnus coelolepis. The laer

does not have a disnct ridge at the base of each side of the

body, when placed on its side.

Centroscymnus owstonii

ROUGHSKIN DOGFISH

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32 SHARKS 33

Descripon: Slender body; very long, somewhat aened snout,

small mouth with very long labial furrows that extend up and

over the mouth. Preoral length about equal to distance between

mouth and pectoral n origin. Dorsal ns about the same size;

rst dorsal n extends forward in prominent ridge with origin

over pectoral bases; second dorsal free rear p nearly reaches

upper caudal origin. Dorsal spines very small. So, velvety skin.

Colour: Deep black to dark brown. Narrow light posterior n

margins.

Size: 105 cm.

Distribuon: East Atlanc, Indian and Pacic Oceans, except for

Northeast Pacic.

Habitat: Upper connental and insular slopes, on or near boom;

200 to 2,080 m but mostly at depths greater than 500 m.

Threats: Taken as both targeted and incidental catch across its

range in midwater and demersal trawl, surface and demersal

longline and gillnet sheries. The species is likely to have refuge

at depths where industrial sheries currently do not operate. Has

been recorded at least occasionally as a bycatch in the Namibian

boom trawl shery for hake.

Centroselachus crepidater

LONGNOSE VELVET DOGFISH

Descripon: Giganc, heavy cylindrical body and short, rounded

snout. Rough skin. Very low, equally sized dorsal ns; no dorsal

spines. First dorsal n closer to pelvic ns than pectoral ns;

distance between dorsal n bases c. 80% of distance between

snout and rst gill slit. Pectoral ns with rounded ps. Short

caudal peduncle, keels on base of caudal n. Caudal n with long

lower lobe, short upper lobe.

Colour: Uniform grey to blackish.

Size: About 600 cm.

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy distribuon in the southern

Atlanc and Indo-Pacic Oceans and in Antarcc waters.

Habitat: Upper connental slopes, insular shelves, oceanic ridges

and seamounts; 245 to 1,540 m.

Threats: Taken infrequently as incidental bycatch in benthic trawl,

set net, and longline sheries throughout most of its range.

Somniosus antarccus

SOUTHERN SLEEPER SHARK

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34 SHARKS 35

Descripon: Slender body and low, at head; fairly long, narrow

snout. Short, narrow mouth and nasoral grooves much longer

than upper labial furrows. Dorsal n spines small. Second dorsal

n larger than rst dorsal and about same size as pelvic ns; n

base of rst dorsal n is shorter than that of second dorsal n

base. No anal n. Caudal n with strong terminal notch and short

lower lobe.

Colour: Uniformly black to dark brownish-black.

Size: 109 cm.

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy global distribuon in

Atlanc and Indo-Pacic Oceans.

Habitat: Connental slope and oceanic ridges, and epipelagic

over deep water, from the surface to 1,511 m depth.

Threats: Infrequently reported from surface longline sheries

targeng pelagic shes, such as tunas and swordsh, and as

demersal longline and trawl sheries, in some regions. May

have some refuge from sheries at depth. Has been recorded

as incidental bycatch in Namibian boom trawl shery for hake.

Zameus squamulosus

VELVET DOGFISH

Descripon: Disncvely stocky body, triangular in cross secon,

with a broad and aened head and short, blunt snout. Two

large, sail-like dorsal ns, both preceded by a short spine; no anal

n. Spiracle large and vercally elongated. Light horizontal line

below eye.

Colour: Grey or grey-brown above. Dark blotches on head and

anks but may be obscure, parcularly in adults.

Size: 150 cm.

Distribuon: Northeast and East Atlanc Ocean, between

Norway and South Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat: Coral, algal and muddy booms, on connental shelf

and upper slopes, at depths of 35 to 805 m.

Threats: Infrequently reported as bycatch in demersal trawl and

longline sheries throughout its range. Suspected to be declining

in parts of its distribuon where historic and current shing

pressure is high and previous declines in deep-water sharks

have been documented. However, there are few records of this

species in the southern Atlanc and species-specic populaon

trend data are not available.

Strykysterhaai

Oxynotus centrina

ANGULAR ROUGHSHARK

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36 SHARKS 37

Descripon: Cigar-shaped body with moderately short snout,

relavely large eyes close to p of snout. Pectoral, dorsal and

pelvic ns all very small relave to body size. Both dorsal ns set

far back along body; rst dorsal n inseron over area of pelvic

n origin. No anal n. Luminous organs (photophores) on enre

ventral surface except on prominent dark collar and light-edged

ns.

Colour: Mid-grey to grey-brown above with conspicuous dark

collar-like marking around gill area; lighter below. Fins dark brown

but with pale or translucent edges.

Size: 56 cm.

Distribuon: Likely to be cosmopolitan in oceanic waters of

temperate and tropical regions.

Habitat: Tropical oceanic, epipelagic to bathypelagic, between

the surface and 3,500 m.

Threats: Occasionally bycaught in oceanic trawl and longline

sheries, including mid-water trawls, but the small size, habitat

and behaviour of this species may limit the level of bycatch.

Isisus brasiliensis

COOKIECUTTER SHARK

Descripon: Slender sawshark. Long, toothed rostrum extends

from head, bearing rostral teeth of varying lengths; larger rostral

teeth have serrated edges. Two barbels extend from the ventral

surface of the rostrum; barbel origins about two-thirds of the

distance between rostrum p and mouth (i.e. closer to the mouth

than in other species of sawshark documented from western

Indian Ocean). Six pairs of gill slits.

Colour: Dark grey to olive brown above with yellowish longitudinal

stripe; uniformly lighter below.

Size: At least 136 cm (possibly up to 170 cm).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc and southwestern Indian Ocean,

between False Bay, South Africa and southern Mozambique. Only

recorded twice in Namibia.

Habitat: Oshore connental shelf and upper connental and

insular slope at depths of 10 to 915 m (but usually between 60

and 430 m), on or near the seabed. Adults typically occur deeper

than juveniles.

Threats: Inherently suscepble to capture in trawl sheries as

their rostra (saws) are easily entangled in nets. They are caught

as bycatch of demersal trawlers. This species may be rare in

Namibian waters but at least one specimen has been recorded as

bycatch on a boom trawl vessel in Namibia.

Seskief-saaghaai/ saagbek

Pliotrema warreni

WARREN’S SIXGILL SAWSHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

38 SHARKS 39

Descripon: Disnctly broad, aened body. Short snout with

large mouth and nostrils; eyes on top of head close to and level

with large spiracles. Large thorns on head (spines on the snout

and above the eyes). Heavily fringed nasal barbels and anterior

nasal aps. One row of dorsal spines along the back (disnguishes

this species from other angelsharks with overlapping ranges).

Very large pectoral ns. Pelvic n ps extend to, or beyond, origin

of rst dorsal n.

Colour: Light grey or brown moled with darker brown; may have

irregular small white spots and regular dark brown spots. Large

dark blotches may be present on dorsal surface and tail.

Size: 188 cm.

Distribuon: Eastern Atlanc from Senegal at least as far south

as Sierra Leone and Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat: Coastal and shelf areas of warm-temperate and tropical

Eastern Atlanc, on or near seabed on so substrates, at depths

of 30 to 500 m.

Threats: Highly suscepble to bycatch in trawls and dredges

due to its boom-dwelling behaviour. Taken as bycatch in major

industrial boom trawl sheries and inshore boom-set gillnets,

and in trammel nets and boom-set longlines throughout its

range.

Notes: There have only been three records of sawback

angelsharks in Namibian waters since 1975. Two were recorded

in northern Namibian waters, close to Angolan waters, and the

third was an extra-limital record from an area south of Lüderitz,

which may be a misidencaon. It is at present unclear whether

both Squana aculeata and S. oculata occur in Namibian waters,

or whether records of one of these species may have resulted

from a misidencaon. Any angelshark observed in Namibian

waters should be documented in detail with photographs and

measurements.

Engelhaai

Squana aculeata

SAWBACK ANGELSHARK

Descripon: Disnctly broad, aened body. Short snout with

large mouth and nostrils; eyes on top of head close to and level

with large spiracles. Anterior nasal aps weakly fringed. Thorns

present above the eyes and around the snout. Very large pectoral

ns. Pelvic n ps do not reach origin of base of rst dorsal n.

Colour: Grey-brown with small white and dark spots; somemes

symmetrical brown ocelli surrounded by white spots on pectoral

ns, tail, and body. Large dark blotches on base and rear ps of

pectoral ns, base of tail and under dorsal ns. White dorsal and

caudal n margins.

Size: 160 cm.

Distribuon: Mediterranean Sea and along the West African

coast, between Senegal and Ghana (possibly further south as far

as Angola and northern Namibia).

Habitat: Warm-temperate and tropical connental shelves and

upper slopes between 20 and 560 m; sandy and muddy habitats.

Threats: Highly suscepble to bycatch in trawls and dredges

due to its boom-dwelling behaviour. Angelsharks are taken as

bycatch in major industrial boom trawl sheries and inshore

boom-set gillnets throughout their range.

Notes: Very rare, with only one record from Namibia since 1975,

recorded by a research vessel just south of Namibia’s border with

Angola. Most likely at the edge of its range in northern Namibian

waters. Any angelshark observed in Namibian waters should be

documented in detail with photographs and measurements.

Engelhaai

Squana oculata

SMOOTHBACK ANGELSHARK

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40 SHARKS 41

Descripon: Flaened conical snout; large, slender, pointed

teeth that protrude slightly from the mouth. Large dorsal ns and

anal n of similar sizes. First dorsal n is closer to pelvic ns than

pectoral ns. Caudal n has short ventral lobe.

Colour: Light brown-grey above, oen with scaered dark spots,

and white below.

Size: Up to 325 cm, possibly longer.

Distribuon: Circumglobal distribuon, in all oceans except for

the East Pacic.

Habitat: Demersal and pelagic in tropical and temperate seas on

the connental shelf from the surf zone to a depth of 232 m.

Occurs mainly in shallow waters of 15 to 25 m and aggregates

in or near underwater caves, gullies, and rocky and coral reefs.

Undertakes complex migraons associated with seasonal and

reproducve events, habitually returning to the same breeding

area.

Threats: Subject to shing pressure throughout its range.

Captured as target and bycatch in arsanal, recreaonal and

industrial sheries with gears including longline, line, gillnet and

trawl. Mostly retained for its meat and ns, except in areas where

retenon is prohibited by law. The coastal habitat preferences

of this species means it is also threatened by habitat loss and

degradaon, including polluon and clearing for aquaculture

and development. In South Africa, this species is captured by

recreaonal shore-based anglers, but in Namibia it is encountered

only rarely. Catches by anglers should not pose a threat to

the species, if the sharks are handled carefully and released

immediately.

Spikkel-skeurtandhaai

Carcharius taurus

SAND TIGER SHARK / RAGGED-TOOTH SHARK /

GREY NURSE SHARK

Descripon: Disncve, slender, cylindrical body. Conical head

with very large eyes; large mouth with prominent long, slender

teeth and highly protrusible jaws. Very small spiracles. Small

pectoral ns; two spineless dorsal ns, small anal n, long dorsal

caudal n lobe.

Colour: Grey or grey-brown above and light below. Some

individuals have a white cheek area (between mouth and rst

gill slit).

Size: 122 cm.

Distribuon: Circumglobal in oceanic waters of the Indo-Pacic

and Atlanc Oceans.

Habitat: Epi- and mesopelagic, recorded from the surface to

depths of at least 590 m.

Threats: Regularly bycaught in pelagic swordsh and tuna longline

sheries. Their high suscepbility to capture and low biological

producvity may make them suscepble to populaon declines.

Krokodilhaai

Pseudocarcharias kamoharai

CROCODILE SHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

42 SHARKS 43

Descripon: A disncve shark - caudal n upper lobe is nearly

as long as the rest of the body. Long, curved, pointed pectoral

ns. Fairly large eyes; labial furrows present.

Colour: Blue-grey or dark grey above, silvery or bronze on sides.

White below, extending to a patch above the pectoral ns. White

spot on pectoral n ps.

Size: Up to at least 575 cm, possibly longer.

Distribuon: Worldwide, tropical to cold temperate seas.

Habitat: Nearshore to oceanic, to depths of 650 m.

Threats: Caught globally as both target and bycatch in

commercial and small-scale pelagic longline, purse seine, and

gillnet sheries. Bycatch in industrial pelagic eets in oshore and

high-seas waters accounts for much of the catch of this species.

Also captured in coastal longlines, gillnets, trammel nets and

somemes trawls, parcularly in areas with narrow connental

shelves. When retained, both ns and meat are used. Has been

recorded as a bycatch of the mid-water trawl shery in Namibia.

Notes: Disnguishable from other thresher shark species by

the white anks that extend over the pectoral and pelvic ns in

Alopias vulpinus.

Fynstert-sambokhaai

Alopias vulpinus

THRESHER SHARK

Descripon: Disncve shark with long caudal n upper lobe;

huge eyes extend onto at-topped head. Deep groove runs

horizontally above gill slits. Very long, narrow pectoral ns.

Colour: Purplish grey or grey-brown above. Light grey to white

ventrally; does not extend above pectoral n bases (disnguishes

this species from Alopias vulpinus)

Size: At least 484 cm.

Distribuon: Worldwide in tropical and temperate seas.

Habitat: Close inshore to open ocean; surface to 955 m.

Threats: Caught globally as target and bycatch in commercial

and small-scale pelagic longline, purse seine, and gillnet sheries.

The majority of animals are taken as bycatch by commercial

pelagic eets in oshore and high-seas waters. Also captured

in coastal longlines, gillnets, trammel nets and occasionally

trawls, parcularly in areas with narrow connental shelves.

Oen retained for their meat and ns. Bigeye thresher sharks

spend me near the surface at night where they are exposed

to sheries capture, but have some refuge at depth during the

day. In Namibia, this species has been recorded as bycatch in the

boom trawl shery for hake.

Grootoog-sambokhaai

Alopias superciliosus

BIGEYE THRESHER SHARK

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44 SHARKS 45

Descripon: Second largest shark in the world (aer the whale

shark, Rhincodon typus). Very large cylindrical body and conical

head with pointed snout. Huge mouth with ny teeth; huge

gill slits that almost encircle the head. Very small spiracles well

behind eyes. Two spineless dorsal ns; strong lateral keels on

caudal peduncle.

Colour: Variable colour but usually dark or light grey above, oen

with moled paern on back and sides, and white blotches under

head. Skin has a lined or wrinkled appearance.

Size: At least 1,097 cm but more commonly 700 cm.

Distribuon: Worldwide, frequent in cold to warm temperate

waters where it is present near the surface, and in tropical and

equatorial waters where it occurs deeper, below the thermocline.

Undertakes large-scale migraons.

Habitat: Coastal and pelagic, oen associated with coastal and

oceanic fronts. Can undertake vercal movements from the

surface to depths of 1,264 m.

Threats: A highly migratory species, its movements through the

waters of many naons likely brings it into contact with many

dierent threats. Basking sharks were historically hunted to

exncon in some parts of the world; their low producvity

places them at high risk of exrpaon due to overshing. The

species is sll taken as bycatch by trawl, trammel nets, and set-

net sheries, and becomes entangled in pot lines. The species’

habit of spending me swimming at or just below the surface

puts it at risk of strikes by recreaonal and commercial vessels.

In Namibia, it has been recorded as bycatch in the boom trawl

shery.

Koesterhaai

Cetorhinus maximus

BASKING SHARK

Descripon: Large, heavy, torpedo-shaped body and long gill

slits. Relavely long snout and black eyes. Large rst dorsal n.

Wide keels on caudal peduncle.

Colour: Grey above and sharp demarcaon to white below. Dark

free rear p on rst dorsal n; black ps on underside of pectoral

ns and usually dark spot at pectoral n inseron. Older adults

oen become paler grey above.

Size: 640 cm.

Distribuon: Worldwide except polar seas.

Habitat: From shallow inshore waters to connental shelf and

remote oceanic islands, at depths of 0 to 1,280 m. Undertakes

long migraons during which it spends long periods in pelagic

waters.

Threats: Caught as bycatch mostly in inshore sheries in a range

of gears, such as longlines, setlines, gillnets, trawls, hand-held

rod and reel, and sh-traps. Rarely caught in oshore pelagic

sheries. Also vulnerable to drum-lines and gillnets used in bather

protecon programmes, such as those used in parts of South

Africa.

Witdoodshaai

Carcharodon carcharias

GREAT WHITE SHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

46 SHARKS 47

Descripon: Pointed snout; U-shaped mouth, black eyes. Long

gill slits. Wide keels on caudal peduncle.

Colour: Bright blue or purple above, paler and silvery on sides,

white below. Underside of snout and mouth white in adults.

Anterior dorsal surface of pelvic ns dark in colour; posterior half

and underside of pelvic ns white.

Size: 445 cm.

Distribuon: Worldwide in tropical and warm-temperate seas.

Habitat: Coastal and oceanic, between 0 and 888 m depth.

Threats: Caught globally as target and bycatch in industrial and

small-scale pelagic longline, purse seine, and gillnet sheries. The

majority of the catch occurs in oshore and high-seas waters, as

bycatch of industrial pelagic eets, but the species is also captured

in coastal longlines, gillnets, trammel nets, and somemes trawls.

In Namibia it is purportedly a bycatch of the tuna and swordsh

shery, but is retained for the meat and ns.

Kortvin-mako

Isurus oxyrinchus

SHORTFIN MAKO

Descripon: Slender, elongated body and two small, spineless

dorsal ns of equal size. Slender, eshy snout; long, arched mouth

reaches past front end of the cat-like eyes. Long, deep, angular

anal n, separated from caudal n by a small notch.

Colour: Dark brown body with irregular scaering of pale ecks

on most individuals (may be absent); black naked n ps.

Size: At least 79 cm.

Distribuon: North and East Atlanc, southern Australia, New

Zealand and o Madagascar Ridge.

Habitat: Connental mid-slopes and seamounts at depths of 512

to 1,683 m, but mostly in waters deeper than 1,000 m.

Threats: Uncommon bycatch of commercial deepwater trawlers.

Generally recorded deeper than 1,000 m and the depth range

may extend deeper than currently known, oering some refuge

from shing pressure. A poorly studied species, it may share the

liming life history characteriscs of other deepwater sharks that

make them vulnerable to rapid depleon. Future expansion of

shing into deeper waters could therefore negavely aect this

species.

Notes: Apristurus melanoasper can be disnguished from A.

microps by the fact that it has a slender body and its upper labial

furrows are longer than the lower ones.

Eggcase: Opaque and yellowish to brownish, probably darker aer

exposure to sea water; tendrils blackish brown. Measures 52 - 67

mm in length and 23.5 - 27 mm in width (based on examinaon

of 3 eggcases). Capsule anterior margin slightly concave, with

short, inwardly curving horn of about 3 mm length at each corner.

Posterior end with two long, ghtly coiled tendrils set close to

each other at base. Eggcase is constricted at about one third of

the length from anterior end. Surface enrely covered by ne,

weak longitudinal bres; lateral edge with keel-like ridges.

Apristurus melanoasper

FLESHYNOSE CATSHARK

©alexisaronson

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48 SHARKS 49

Descripon: Stout body; extremely small eyes. Long, arched

mouth reaches past front end of the cat-like eyes. Two small,

spineless dorsal ns, of similar size and both located far along the

back, close to caudal n. Very large, long, rounded-angular anal

n separated from caudal n by small notch. Caudal n with loose

crest of enlarged dermal dencles on dorsal margin.

Colour: Can range from uniformly blackish or purplish-black to

greyish and variaons in between; no conspicuous markings on

ns.

Size: 61 cm.

Distribuon: North and Southeast Atlanc and southwestern

Indian Ocean.

Habitat: Boom-dwelling species that inhabits the connental

slope at depths of 700 to 2,200 m. Migrates o the seabed to

feed on midwater prey items.

Threats: May be caught and discarded as bycatch by deepwater

trawl sheries, but most of its range is deeper than the waters

targeted by commercial sheries. However, any expansion of

deepwater sheries may pose a threat to this species in the

future.

Notes: Similar to Apristurus melanoasper and A. saldanha. See the

descripons of these species for notes on disnguishing features.

Eggcase: Measures c. 47-52 mm in length (excluding horns). Fairly

thick eggcase with ne, straight, smooth longitudinal striaons

(ridges) on the dorsal and ventral surfaces. Eggcase has a ‘waist’

(constricon) along its length unless the capsule is empty. Lateral

anges of cases are narrow (about 1 mm wide) and at, extending

the length of the egg case. Anterior border of the case nearly

straight with very short (1 mm) anterior horns that are straight,

pointed anteriorly and without tendrils. Posterior border narrow

and concave; posterior horns very short, stout, and curved

towards each other. Posterior tendrils very short, curled, slender

and lamentous. Uniform dark green in colour (when removed

from preserved catsharks).

Apristurus microps

SMALLEYED CATSHARK

Descripon: Elongated body and two small, spineless dorsal

ns. Long, arched mouth reaches past front end of cat-like eyes.

Upper labial furrows longer than lower labial furrows. First dorsal

n slightly smaller than or equal in size to second dorsal n. Small

notch separates long angular anal n from caudal n.

Colour: Uniformly dark slate-grey or grey-brown.

Size: 89 cm.

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc from Namibia to the Eastern

Cape, South Africa.

Habitat: A demersal species, inhabing the connental slope at

depths of 344 to 1,009 m.

Threats: Taken as incidental bycatch and discarded in the deep-

water hake boom trawl shery o South Africa, and likely also

in Namibia; several Apristurus catsharks have been recorded as

bycatch in the Namibian boom trawl shery for hake. However,

the majority of the populaon is found in waters deeper than this

shery operates.

Notes: Apristurus saldanha can be disnguished from A. microps

by the fact that it has a slender body and the upper labial furrows

are longer than the lower ones.

Eggcase: No conrmed records have been documented of

eggcases produced by this species.

Apristurus saldanha

SALDANHA CATSHARK

©alexisaronson

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50 SHARKS 51

Descripon: Large pectoral ns; small, spineless, equally sized

dorsal ns; long, low anal n. Dermal dencle crest along upper

margin of tail. Cat-like eyes.

Colour: Dorsally, somemes pale grey with disnct, dark saddle

blotches, usually 11 or less, and large dark spots over the gill area.

Some individuals are darker grey or brownish-bronze dorsally,

with saddles and spots indisnct or not visible. Cream or white

ventrally, and somemes laterally on posterior half of body.

Size: 43 cm.

Distribuon: Eastern Atlanc (southern Morocco to South Africa).

Habitat: Demersal on the connental shelf and upper connental

slope at depths of 159 to 720 m.

Threats: May inhabit depths beyond the reach of some regional

shing acvies, but is reported as bycatch in demersal trawl

sheries in the northern (Guinea) and southern (Namibia and

South Africa) parts of its range. Large quanes of this species

are regularly caught as bycatch in the Namibian boom trawl

shery for hake, and the majority are already badly injured or

dead by the me they reach the vessel.

Galeus polli

AFRICAN SAWTAIL CATSHARK

Descripon: Slender body when juvenile, stocky when mature.

Broad, slightly aened head. Very large nostrils with greatly

expanded nasal aps which reach the mouth.

Colour: Light brown to dark brown or blackish above; dorsal

saddles and sparsely scaered white spots; white below. Colour

and paerning can vary considerably.

Size: 70 cm.

Distribuon: Found only in Namibian and South African waters.

Habitat: An inshore, boom-dwelling shark, found in kelp, sandy

and rocky habitats, close inshore to a maximum depth of 35 m.

Threats: Caught as bycatch in demersal trawl sheries, commercial

line sheries, demersal longline sheries targeng sharks, and in

beach seines, gillnets, and rock lobster traps. In Namibia, this

species is largely only caught by recreaonal anglers and released

alive, and is thus not likely to be under considerable pressure.

However, any polluon or degradaon of shallow coastal habitats

may have negave impacts on this species.

Eggcase: Rectangular in shape, with long, thin, curly tendrils

extending from all four corners. Black, dark brown, reddish or

amber in colour (when found on the beach). Measures c. 55 mm

long and 25 mm across when rehydrated. Dark shyshark eggcases

are oen washed up on beaches in Namibia.

Donker skaamoog

Haploblepharus pictus

DARK SHYSHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

52 SHARKS 53

Descripon: Very broad head, short snout and long mouth. Broad

pectoral ns; dorsal ns short and angular. Slender tail.

Colour: Yellowish to pale brown, covered with disncve darker

reculaons, bars and blotches with pale centres; no white spots.

White below. Younger animals are dark and slender with line of

white spots on sides and black bars on tail and ns.

Size: 69 cm.

Distribuon: Found only in Namibia and South Africa.

Habitat: Connental shelf and upper slopes between 10 and

1,075 m, but mainly between 100 and 300 m.

Threats: Caught as bycatch in substanal numbers in boom

trawl sheries for hake in South Africa and Namibia. Individuals

are discarded and post-release mortality may be low, although

evidence is lacking. This species may have some refuge in deeper

waters.

Eggcase: Light brown; velvety covering with longitudinal

striaons and long tendrils from each corner. Eggcases are 36 to

43 mm long and 12 to 15 mm across. Mature females bear only

one cased egg per oviduct.

Izak

Holohalaelurus regani

IZAK CATSHARK

Descripon: Fairly large, slender catshark. Head slender but

deep; anterior nasal aps small and do not reach mouth; no

nasoral grooves; lower labial furrows only. First dorsal n much

larger than second.

Colour: Light brown or grey above with eight to nine irregular,

dark brown saddles; numerous small bright yellow spots on dorsal

surface, pectoral and pelvic ns. No dark spots. Pale below.

Size: 122 cm.

Distribuon: Found only in Namibian and South African waters.

Habitat: Boom-dwelling on connental shelf and upper slope,

26 to 695 m.

Eggcase: Broad and at eggcase; measures 80 to 84 mm in length

(excluding horns). Thick, smooth walls with longitudinal striaons

and poorly dened or no ridges. Broad (c. 2 mm) lateral anges.

Anterior border almost straight and broad, with long anterior

horns that extend into strong tendrils (longer than the eggcase).

Posterior border broad and concave with long, stout posterior

horns that extend into inially stout, then slender strongly curled

posterior tendrils that extend below the eggcase. Tendrils tend to

catch onto each other, those of other eggcases and the substrate.

Eggcases removed from preserved specimens were uniform pale

green to dark green.

Geelspikkel-kathaai

Scyliorhinus capensis

YELLOWSPOTTED CATSHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

54 SHARKS 55

Descripon: Moderately large, stout catshark. Head aened in

prole, triangular with pointed snout when viewed from above.

Anterior nasal aps just reach mouth; lower labial furrows only.

First dorsal n much larger than second; interdorsal space slightly

less than anal n base.

Colour: Greyish or brownish above with seven to nine dark

saddles centred on midline dark spots; few, relavely large dark

spots. No white spots. White below.

Size: 106 cm.

Distribuon: West Africa, between Mauritania and Namibia.

Habitat: Connental shelf and upper slope, rocky to mud boom;

45 to 500 m.

Threats: Likely to be caught in demersal net and line sheries,

and has occasionally been reported from gillnet sheries o the

Congo. However, lile is known of sheries interacons and the

species has been absent or very infrequently reported in surveys

in the West Africa region. Several individuals of this species have

been recorded as bycatch in the Namibian boom trawl shery

for hake.

Eggcase: Eggcases of this species have not yet been documented.

Scyliorhinus cervigoni

WEST AFRICAN CATSHARK

Descripon: Large shark with so, stocky body. Short, bell-

shaped snout; nictang eyelids; anterior nasal aps short. Huge

angular mouth and short labial furrows; very large spiracles. Long,

low, keel-like rst dorsal n; second dorsal n much higher.

Colour: Uniform dark brown to blackish.

Size: 296 cm.

Distribuon: Patchy worldwide, except East Pacic.

Habitat: Benthic on connental and insular slopes; 100 to

2,430 m. Occasionally recorded on the connental shelves

including in shallow water.

Threats: Taken as sporadic bycatch on deep-set longlines or in

deepwater boom trawls. No informaon is currently available on

whether this species is impacted by sheries in Namibian waters.

Pseudotriakis microdon

FALSE CATSHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

56 SHARKS 57

Descripon: Large, slender shark with a long, conical snout and

large arched mouth. Small anterior nasal aps. First dorsal n

much larger than second dorsal n; second dorsal is same size

as anal n.

Colour: Grey above with short blaze of white originang in front

of the pelvic n, extending from the lower ank forwards onto

the upper ank. White below. Juveniles have black n markings

and somemes a few dusky spots.

Size: 195 cm.

Distribuon: Worldwide in cold to warm-temperate waters.

Habitat: On or near the seabed, on connental and insular

shelves. Can be found from shallow inshore waters to oshore

waters up to 800 m deep, but commonly shallower than 200 m.

Threats: Tope has been caught, historically and currently, globally

as both a target species and as bycatch in industrial, small-

scale, and recreaonal demersal and pelagic gillnet and longline

sheries, as well in trawl and hook-and-line sheries, troll lines,

trammel nets and traps. It is usually retained for the meat, ns,

and liver oil. In South Africa, tope is both targeted and a retained

bycatch species and is caught in signicant quanes in the

demersal and pelagic line, trawl, gillnet, and recreaonal sheries.

In Namibia, it is occasionally caught by shore-based recreaonal

anglers.

Notes: This species can be disnguished from Mustelus mustelus

and M. palumbes by the fact that tope have sharp, blade-like teeth

whereas smoothhounds have low, molariform teeth (for crushing

rather than cung).

Vaalhaai

Galeorhinus galeus

TOPE SHARK / SCHOOL SHARK / SOUPFIN SHARK

Descripon: Large, fairly slender houndshark. Short head and

snout; large, close-set eyes. Nostrils widely spaced. High dorsal

ns; rst dorsal n origin over pectoral n inner margins; rst

dorsal slightly larger than second dorsal.

Colour: Grey to grey-brown above, usually no spots but occasional

dark spots; white below.

Size: 176 cm.

Distribuon: Temperate East Atlanc Ocean, including the

Mediterranean Sea, between Portugal and the east coast of

South Africa.

Habitat: Sandy and muddy substrates on the connental shelf and

slope at depths of 0 to 800 m, but more commonly encountered

in shallow waters to depths of 50 m.

Threats: Targeted and taken as bycatch in mulple industrial and

arsanal sheries including demersal trawl, line gear, gillnet, set

nets, tangle nets, and trammel nets, and is retained for human

consumpon. In the southeast Atlanc, smoothhounds are also

targeted or captured as bycatch. In South Africa, this species is one

of the top ve most valuable commercial species in the demersal

shark longline shery, commercial line shery, and inshore trawl

shery. In Namibia, this species is oen caught by shore-based

recreaonal anglers, and lower shing pressure in coastal waters

along the Namibian coastline may oer this species some refuge.

However, smoothhounds have been used by some anglers as bait

for catching larger sharks such as bronze whalers. The impact of

this acvity on Namibia’s smoothhound populaon is unknown

but given this species’ conservaon status, it should not connue.

Notes: This species and M. palumbes can be disnguished from

tope (Galeorhinus galeus) by the fact that both smoothhound

species have low, molariform teeth (for crushing rather than

cung), whereas tope have sharp, blade-like teeth. In addion,

the lower caudal lobe is longer in tope than in smoothhounds.

Hondhaai

Mustelus mustelus

SMOOTHHOUND SHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

58 SHARKS 59

Descripon: Fairly large houndshark, short head and snout with

nostrils widely spaced. Moderately high dorsal ns; rst dorsal

origin over pectoral n inner margins. First dorsal n slightly larger

than second dorsal, large pectoral ns (larger than M. mustelus).

Colour: Grey to grey-brown above, usually with small white spots

on upper body. White below. This is the only southern African

smoothhound with white spots.

Size: 113 cm.

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc and southwestern Indian Ocean

(Namibia, South Africa and southern Mozambique).

Habitat: Connental shelf and upper slope, nearshore to depths

of 443 m but most oen below 70 m. Found on or near sandy

and gravel seabeds.

Threats: Caught as bycatch in demersal trawl, line, and gillnet

sheries, and is retained for the meat and ns or discarded. Post-

release mortality for Mustelus species tends to be very low in line

sheries but is moderate in trawl and gillnet sheries. In Namibia,

this species is caught by recreaonal anglers and smoothhounds

have been used by some as bait for catching larger sharks such as

bronze whalers, a pracce now strongly discouraged.

Notes: This species and M. mustelus can be disnguished from

tope (Galeorhinus galeus) by the fact that both smoothhound

species have low, molariform teeth (for crushing rather than

cung), whereas tope have sharp, blade-like teeth. In addion, the

lower caudal lobe is much longer in tope than in smoothhounds.

Witkol-hondhaai

Mustelus palumbes

WHITESPOTTED SMOOTHHOUND

Descripon: Broad, blunt snout. Broad, large pectoral ns, falcate

with concave posterior margins. First dorsal n almost vercal.

Colour: Grey or bronze-grey above, with few or many scaered

small black spots; white below.

Size: 208 cm.

Distribuon: Southern Angola to South Africa.

Habitat: In the surine and shallow inshore waters, to a depth of

about 50 m.

Threats: Occasionally taken as bycatch in beach seine, commercial

line, longline, and trawl sheries. Targeted in recreaonal line

sheries and commonly caught by shore-based recreaonal

anglers in Namibia. Smaller spoed gully sharks have somemes

been used by anglers as bait for catching larger sharks; the scale

and impact of this acvity on Namibia’s spoed gully shark

populaon is unknown and it is now strongly discouraged.

Gespikkelde sloothaai

Triakis megalopterus

SPOTTED GULLY SHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

60 SHARKS 61

Descripon: Moderately large shark. Bluntly pointed, broad

snout. Labial furrows small and inconspicuous. Long pectoral

ns. Dorsal ns with short rear ps; rst dorsal moderately large;

second dorsal small. No interdorsal ridge.

Colour: Olive grey to bronze above; most ns with inconspicuous

darker margins and dusky ps. Light colour on ventral posterior

anks extends upwards and anteriorly from pelvic n area in fairly

prominent white blaze. White below.

Size: 325 cm.

Distribuon: Most warm, temperate waters in Atlanc,

Mediterranean and Indo-Pacic.

Habitat: Close inshore to at least 145 m oshore.

Threats: Caught globally, both as target and as retained bycatch

of industrial, small-scale, and recreaonal sheries using a

range of gears including demersal longlines and gillnets, pelagic

longlines and demersal trawls. Commonly caught by shore-based

recreaonal anglers in Namibia.

Koperhaai

Carcharhinus brachyurus

BRONZE WHALER / COPPER SHARK

Descripon: Large shark with stocky body. Large, broad head

and very broad, short, bluntly rounded snout. Small eyes; upper

labial furrows very short. No spiracles. Large, broad pectoral ns

with concave inner margins. Broad, triangular rst dorsal n,

much bigger than second dorsal; both dorsal ns with short free

rear ps. No interdorsal ridge. Weak caudal keels.

Colour: Grey or grey-brown above; dusky n ps. Juveniles have

black ps on some ns and black patches on caudal peduncle.

White below.

Size: At least 366 cm.

Distribuon: Worldwide subtropical and tropical seas.

Habitat: Usually found close inshore, in hypersaline lagoons

and river mouths but can also be found as deep as 164 m and

hundreds of kilometres up warm rivers and in freshwater lakes. In

Namibia, bull sharks are only known from the Kunene River and

the coastal zone close to the Kunene River mouth.

Threats: Caught as target and bycatch in arsanal, industrial, and

recreaonal sheries throughout its range, with mulple shing

gears including gillnet, longline, and trawl. Mostly retained for its

meat and ns. Habitat loss and degradaon (in coastal, estuarine

and riverine habitats) also impact this species, because of its

preference for those habitats, as do the eects of climate change.

Bull sharks are caught (but usually released alive) by recreaonal

anglers in northern Namibia; the status of this local populaon is

unknown.

Bulhaai/ Zambesihaai

Carcharhinus leucas

BULL SHARK

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

62 SHARKS 63

Descripon: Moderately large, slim shark with a long, pointed

snout. Large green eyes; short, inconspicuous upper labial furrow.

Small rst dorsal n with moderately long free rear p; rst dorsal

n origin situated over or behind the free ps of the pectoral ns.

Interdorsal ridge is present; second dorsal n low with long free

rear p.

Colour: Grey-brown above with no obvious n markings. White

below.

Size: Up to 280 cm.

Distribuon: Tropical and warm temperate Atlanc. May be rare

in Namibian waters.

Habitat: Deepwater coastal and semi-oceanic; along outer

connental and insular shelves and o upper slopes, in depths

of up to 600 m.

Threats: Captured primarily in pelagic longline sheries. Unlikely

to be a targeted catch, but high value and demand for shark ns,

and possibly the misidencaon of this species, has historically

resulted in some bycaught animals being retained.

Carcharhinus signatus

NIGHT SHARK

Descripon: Large, slim shark with narrow head and long conical

snout. Large eyes, small mouth; small labial furrows conned to

corners of mouth. No spiracles. Long, narrow, scythe-shaped

pectoral ns. First dorsal n originates well behind pectoral ns;

second dorsal n much smaller (less than one third of rst dorsal

n size). Weak caudal keels; no interdorsal ridge.

Colour: Usually dark blue back with brighter blue anks, grading

to silvery blue. White below.

Size: 384 cm.

Distribuon: Worldwide in temperate and tropical seas.

Habitat: Oceanic and epipelagic, usually o the edge of

connental shelves. Found between the surface and 1,000 m

depth.

Threats: Caught globally as target and bycatch in commercial

and small-scale pelagic longline, purse seine and gillnet sheries.

Bycatch in industrial pelagic eets, in oshore and high-seas

waters, accounts for the majority of catches. It is also captured

in coastal longlines, gillnets, trammel nets, and somemes trawls.

The species is generally retained for the meat and ns, unless

retenon is prohibited and enforced. In Namibia, blue sharks are

a target catch of the longline shery for swordsh and tuna, and

one of its major exports.

Blouhaai

Prionace glauca

BLUE SHARK

EN NT

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

Descripon: Large shark. Hammer-shaped head comprising long,

narrow blade with broadly arched anterior margin, no median

indentaon but obvious lateral indentaons. Short snout and

broadly arched mouth. First dorsal n moderately high; second

dorsal and pectoral ns low. Upper pre-caudal pit.

Colour: Olive-grey or dark grey-brown above; dusky undersides

of pectoral n ps. White below.

Size: 400 cm.

Distribuon: Worldwide in warm temperate and tropical seas.

In Namibia, more likely to be encountered in the far north and in

summer months.

Habitat: Connental and insular shelves, found both in inshore

and oshore waters to 200 m depth and possibly deeper.

Threats: Caught globally as target and bycatch in commercial

and small-scale pelagic longline, purse seine, and gillnet sheries.

Also captured in coastal longlines, gillnets, trammel nets, and

somemes trawls. Oen retained for its ns. Post-release mortality

is thought to be very high. Occasionally caught by recreaonal

anglers in Namibia; responsible handling and immediate release

are especially recommended for this species.

Gladde hamerkop

Sphyrna zygaena

SMOOTH HAMMERHEAD SHARK

There are at least 670 valid, named skate and ray species worldwide, of which at least 25 occur

in Namibian waters. Some sngray species can live occasionally or permanently in freshwater

habitats, but all of the skate and ray species that occur in Namibia are exclusively marine. In

Namibia, skates and rays are found in a wide diversity of habitats including shallow coastal areas

on sandy and muddy booms, in kelp forests and far oshore, in waters hundreds of metres

deep. They do not range as much in size as sharks, but several species reach considerable sizes,

including the spearnose skate which reaches a total length of 240 cm, and the Norwegian skate

which can reach 250 cm.

Rays and skates are disnguished from sharks by their dorso-ventrally aened, disc-like

bodies, with their gill slits and mouth usually located on the underside and the eyes situated on

the dorsal surface. Their greatly enlarged, wing-like pectoral ns are completely (e.g. sngrays

and skates) or partly (e.g. guitarshes3) fused with the head and trunk. All skates and rays lack

an anal n, and the caudal and dorsal n(s), which are developed to varying extents across the

group, are also somemes absent.

The main dierence between rays and skates is in their reproducve strategies. Rays give

birth to live young, whilst skates produce eggs (in hard eggcases, somemes called mermaids’

purses) in which the young skates develop for some me, before hatching. Skates typically have

prominent dorsal ns, while rays have a very small dorsal n or none at all. Most rays are kite-

shaped with whip-like tails possessing one or two snging spines, while skates have eshier

tails and lack spines. Many rays protect themselves with these sngs or barbs, while skates rely

on thorny projecons on their backs and tails for protecon from predators.

Idenfying skates can be challenging. There are ve species in the genus Rajella present in

Namibian waters, and most of them can appear very similar or idencal. This is further

complicated by the fact that the shape of a skate’s disc and its thorn paerns vary with maturity

and between sexes. Anyone aempng to idenfy a Rajella skate is encouraged to measure

the tail length and precloacal length, and to take photographs and detailed notes on the disc

shape and the number and paern of thorns on each part of the body. However, in some cases,

genec sequencing may be the only way to idenfy many of these skates reliably to species

level.

The lack of research to date on many deepwater skate species means that, for some species,

there are no conrmed images or descripons of their eggcases, on which we could base

eggcase illustraons or informaon in this guide. This presents an opportunity for future

research in Namibian waters.

RAYS AND SKATES

3 Rays in the Order Rhinoprisformes, which includes sawshes, wedgeshes, giant guitarshes, guitarshes and banjo rays,

have a long, shark-like trunk and tail but largely share the other characteriscs of rays.

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Descripon: Medium-sized guitarsh with shovel-shaped/ heart-

shaped disc; disc anterior margins slightly convex. Short, bluntly

pointed snout. Anterior nasal aps extending across internasal

space and close together. Disc length 1.1 mes disc width.

Rostral ridges broadly separated. Spiracle with a single eshy fold.

Colour: Dorsal surface uniformly brownish in adults. Young have

a paern of symmetrical light spots with cloudy outlines, which

gradually disappear with growth. Ventral surface uniformly white.

Size: 96 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc, between Cape Province (South

Africa) and Namibia.

Habitat: Benthic in shallow, sandy bays.

Threats: Caught in gillnet, beach seine, commercial and

recreaonal line sheries in South Africa. Caught by recreaonal

anglers and occasionally in boom trawls in Namibia. Most are

released alive by anglers but post-release mortality rates are

unknown. The restricted range of this species and its preference

for shallow, coastal habitats makes it suscepble to shing

acvies. Potenal habitat degradaon from diamond mining and

coastal development acvies on the Namibian coast may also

pose a threat.

Notes: This species is commonly referred to as ‘sandshark’ in

Namibia. Has previously been referred to as ‘lesser guitarsh’,

but that is the common name of another species, Acroteriobatus

annulatus, which is found in South African waters but is not

believed to be present in Namibia. Two eshy folds in each

spiracle and a dorsal paern of numerous dark spots surrounded

by a pale ring with a dark edge, disnguishes A. annulatus from

A. blochii.

Sands/ Stompneus-sandkruiper

Acroteriobatus blochii

BLUNTNOSE GUITARFISH

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Small to medium-sized sleeper ray with broadly

rounded to oval disc. Eyes small and close to front edge of disc;

near to spiracles. One low, rounded dorsal n originates over the

pelvic n rear ps. Tail broad and slightly at. Caudal n elongate,

close to and larger than dorsal n. Can deliver a powerful shock

if touched.

Colour: Almost uniformly yellowish or greenish-brown dorsal

colouraon, slightly darker outer disc margin. Somemes with

a few poorly dened darker brown blotches or streaks on

central disc, or small dark spots. Ventral surface creamy white or

yellowish, with dusky outer disc margin.

Size: May reach 38 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Namibia and South Africa.

Habitat: Benthic species on so and rocky substrates over the

connental shelf; depths of 3 to 115 m.

Threats: Caught in demersal trawl sheries and inshore beach

seines. Caught in low numbers and not retained as they produce

electric shocks.

Eenvin-drilvis

Narke capensis

CAPE NUMBFISH / CAPE SLEEPER RAY

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Descripon: Large torpedo ray with smooth surface. Eyes and

spiracles small. Mouth strongly arched; teeth small and sharp.

Disc thick; oval shaped; clearly wider than long. Dorsal ns

rounded to oval at apex; second dorsal n much smaller than

rst. Caudal n large (relave to other sleeper rays); upper and

lower lobes of roughly equal size.

Colour: Uniformly shiny black or dark grey dorsal colouraon,

with no disncve spots or dorsal markings. Ventral surface

creamy white.

Size: 113 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc and southwestern Indian Ocean;

Namibia to Algoa Bay, South Africa.

Habitat: Demersal on the outer connental shelf and upper

slopes, at depths of 110 to 455 m.

Threats: May be caught in some demersal trawl sheries,

but their semi-pelagic behaviour limits their catchability and

electricity producon likely limits their retenon - electric rays

are usually discarded. This species has been frequently recorded

as a bycatch of the Namibian boom trawl shery for hake.

Notes: Formerly called Tetronarce nobiliana.

Tetronarce cowleyi

COWLEY’S TORPEDO RAY / SOUTH AFRICAN TORPEDO

Descripon: Large skate with broad rhombic disc and broadly

triangular, bluntly pointed snout. Pelvic ns deeply notched.

No thorns on rostrum, around eyes or on dorsal surface of disc

in adults; juveniles have orbital, nuchal, scapular and mid-back

thorns. Upper surface has a velvety to rough texture, apart from

posterior and central disc. Tail slender, tapering to apex, shorter

than disc length; bears 14 to 19 sharp, evenly spaced thorns in

a single row.

Colour: Uniformly slate grey to greyish-brown disc above. Ventral

surface white, somemes with grey blotches on the disc; ventral

disc margins and area around cloaca grey to black.

Size: 120 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc from Walvis Bay, Namibia to

Agulhas Bank, South Africa.

Habitat: Demersal on the connental shelf and slope at depths

of 250 to 1,040 m.

Threats: Incidental bycatch of demersal deepwater trawl

sheries. Although these sheries operate throughout this

species’ geographic range, it has some refuge at depths beyond

the reach of sheries. Has been documented as bycatch in the

Namibian boom trawl shery for hake.

Eggcase: Egg cases are quite large, around 150 mm long (excluding

horns). Striated surface; broad lateral keels. A disncve window

is present in the apron on one end, and runs across almost the

width of the capsule. Anterior horns are very long, thin and taper

to a lamentous p. Posterior horns are shorter and thicker, with

blunt ps.

Bathyraja smithii

AFRICAN SOFTNOSED SKATE

RAYS AND SKATES

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Descripon: Large skate with a long, pointed rostrum (snout)

with rm rostral carlage. Disc anterior margin strongly concave

(especially in adults). Disc width is 1.1 to 1.2 mes disc length

at all sizes. Pelvic n anterior lobes only slightly shorter than

posterior lobes. Weak rosee of thorns around orbital rim in

adults. Tail short (about 0.6 mes precloacal length), very thick

and bulging beyond its base, with 13 – 26 thorns in single median

row in males and juveniles; addional lateral row of close-packed

thorns on each side in adult females. Dorsal ns rounded, close

together, located well forward of tail p.

Colour: Dorsal surface greyish-brown or dark brown with

scaered darker blotches; posterior margins of disc and pelvic

ns may have dark edges. Ventral surface dark brown, with or

without paler blotches; dark-edged sensory pores.

Size: 115 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Eastern Central and Southeast Atlanc Ocean,

between Senegal and Cape Province, South Africa.

Habitat: Demersal on outer connental shelf and upper and mid-

slopes at depths of 165 to 1,200 m, but commonly between 450

and 600 m.

Threats: Occasionally reported as bycatch in demersal trawl

sheries for hake around southern Africa, including in Namibian

waters. May be misreported as other, similar-looking Dipturus

species. Much of the species’ range lies in waters outside the

range of sheries at present and thus it may have some refuge

from shing pressure, but expansion of sheries into deeper

waters would likely impact this species.

Eggcase: No images or descripon of this species’ eggcases are

available.

Dipturus doutrei

JAVELIN SKATE

Descripon: Very large skate with rhombic disc (width c. 1.2

mes length), very long and narrowly pointed snout with rm

rostral carlage. Small eyes with rosee of small thorns around

orbital rim. Deeply concave anterior margin to disc; strongly

convex posterior margin. Pelvic n anterior lobe barely shorter

than posterior lobe in juveniles, but much shorter in adults.

Dorsal disc smooth in young, dencles developing on head and

along anterior disc margin in adults. Dorsally, no thorns on mid-

disc before tail, but ventral surface densely covered with coarse

dencles. Tail short (length c. 0.8 mes precloacal length in

adults) and thick (but not as thick as D. doutrei), with 40–50 small

median predorsal thorns in single row in males; one addional

lateral row on each side in larger females. Dorsal ns rounded,

separated slightly.

Colour: Uniformly dark greyish brown dorsally. Dorsal and caudal

ns darker than adjacent tail (more apparent in young). Ventral

surface of disc usually darker than dorsal surface, brownish and

may be covered with black mucus; sensory pores dark-edged.

Size: 250 cm (TL).

Distribuon: East Atlanc, between Iceland and South Africa,

including Mid-Atlanc Ridge.

Habitat: On or near the seabed, on connental and insular

shelves and slopes at depths of 125 to 1,420 m but probably

most common on the mid-slope.

Threats: Not targeted by commercial sheries, but occasionally

taken as bycatch in deepwater trawl and longline sheries and

usually discarded. Deepwater sheries, including trawl sheries,

are known to operate within this species’ range. As for all large

skates with low producvity and high catchability, even moderate

levels of bycatch are likely to negavely impact populaons.

Levels of bycatch should thus be closely monitored.

Notes: May have been called Dipturus springeri in the past; D.

springeri may only occur on Africa’s east coast.

Eggcase: Posterior horns tapered and curved towards midline;

anterior horns possibly shorter and lamentous at ps (based on

a single image of one eggcase). The only eggcase for this species

for which measurement data are available measured 106 x 85

mm (excluding horns), but was likely not fully developed.

Dipturus nidarosiensis

NORWEGIAN SKATE

RAYS AND SKATES

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Descripon: Large skate with a broad disc (width 1.2–1.4 mes

length) and disnct pair of blotches on upper disc. Moderately

long, bluntly triangular snout with rm rostral carlage, large

nuchal thorn, 3–8 spiny thorns around orbital rim. Disc anterior

margin undulate in young, much more so in adults. Skin of females

and young smooth. Pelvic ns large, anterior lobe much shorter

than posterior lobe. Narrow tail (length less than precloacal

length) with up to 27 tail thorns between area over cloaca and

dorsal ns, in adults. Dorsal ns close to tail p; broadly rounded,

separated by space about half the length of rst dorsal n base.

Colour: Yellow to brownish, with prominent large dark brown

irregular blotch on dorsal surface of each pectoral n. Juveniles

covered with numerous black spots, becoming inconspicuous or

lost in adults; adults occasionally with pale blotches and small

white spots. Ventral surface greyish white; sensory pores grey

or black.

Size: 130 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc and southwestern Indian Ocean;

between Namibia and Eastern Cape (South Africa).

Habitat: Demersal on connental shelf and upper slope at depths

of 30 to 385 m.

Threats: Caught in trawl and longline sheries targeng hake

throughout its range, and retained at least in South Africa. This

species has shown evidence of a range shi to the southwest and

a loss of habitat area over three decades (1981–2016) in South

Africa, possibly caused by climate change. This may represent

a signicant loss of habitat to this species that has a restricted

southern African distribuon.

Eggcase: A striated eggcase covered in dense bres, over 130

mm in length (excluding horns), with broad lateral keels c. 19% of

maximum eggcase width. Anterior horns hook-like and tapered.

Posterior horns taper and curve inwards, but are not hook-like;

slightly shorter than anterior horns.

Dipturus pullopunctatus

SLIME SKATE

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Medium-sized skate with a rounded to heart-

shaped disc (width 1.2–1.3 mes length); short snout with rm

rostral carlage. Disc anterior margin undulate (concave in adult

males). Anterior pelvic n lobe much shorter than posterior lobe.

Upper disc very rough; largely smooth ventrally, anterior margins

of disc prickly. Rosee of 7–10 orbital thorns; small triangular

area of sparse thorns around nape and shoulder. Thorns in single

row along central disc; young usually have 5 rows of tail thorns,

median row reduces with growth. Tail 1.1-1.3 mes precloacal

length. Sened tail tapers strongly; dorsal ns about half as high

as long and separated by short space; caudal n short and low.

Colour: Dorsal surface yellowish brown with striking paerning of

bright yellow spots, oen forming whorls and rosees (somemes

greyish brown with white spots); markings cover most of disc.

Ventral surface uniformly pale or white.

Size: 96 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc and southwestern Indian Ocean,

between Namibia and southern Mozambique.

Habitat: On or near seabed on so booms of outer connental

shelf and upper slope, between depths of 75 and 515 m.

Threats: Captured mainly by deep-water trawl sheries targeng

hake in South Africa and crustaceans in Mozambique, and

somemes retained. May also be caught in commercial line

sheries in South Africa. Trawl sheries operate throughout most

of its range and it has been recorded as bycatch in the Namibian

boom trawl shery for hake. In South Africa, this species has

also exhibited a loss of habitat and clear shi in range over over

three decades (between 1981 and 2016), possibly due to climate

change.

Eggcase: Very ne striaons on smooth surface, with no bres.

Measures 80 to 83 mm in length (excluding horns). Horns taper

to lamentous ps; posterior horns nearly twice length of

anterior horns. Posterior apron c. 50% wider than anterior apron.

No lateral keel.

Leucoraja wallacei

YELLOWSPOTTED SKATE

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Descripon: Medium-sized skate with broad, heart-shaped disc

(width 1.2–1.3 mes length), moderately elongate and pointed

snout with rm rostral carlage. Disc anterior margin almost

straight (slightly undulated in mature males). Pelvic n anterior

lobe slightly shorter than posterior lobe. Dorsal surface velvet-

like; ventral surface smooth except for tail and prickly anterior

margins of disc. No thorns on snout and body posterior to

shoulder, except for alar and malar thorns of adult males.

Juveniles bear thorns beside eyes, on nape and shoulders. Tail

about 1.3 mes precloacal length; gradually tapers to p. Dorsal

ns strongly lted, bases joined; caudal n small.

Colour: Dorsal surface plain, pale grey-brown (in juveniles)

to dark grey (in adults); semi-translucent near rostrum. Ventral

surface white in young with scaered grey speckles; becomes

darker on disc and pelvic ns in adults; tail enrely dark grey.

Size: 64 cm (TL).

Distribuon: North and East Atlanc; Maine (USA) to Rockall

Trough, and o northwestern Africa, Namibia and South Africa.

Habitat: Demersal on connental and insular slopes at depths of

450 to 1,570 m.

Threats: Most records occur deeper than 800 m, thus this species

likely occurs at depths greater than those currently shed. Any

future expansion of sheries operang in this species’ range into

deeper waters may pose a threat.

Eggcase: Length is likely less than 100 mm (described from two

parally developed eggcases in utero). Smooth surface with

very ne striaons. Anterior and posterior horns taper to ps;

lateral keel broad (c. 11% of maximum width). No images of fully

developed eggcases from this species were available.

Malacoraja spinacidermis

ROUGHSKIN SKATE / PRICKLE SKATE

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Medium-sized skate with a broad rhombic disc

(width c. 1.3 mes length) and short snout. Disc anterior margin

weakly undulate (similar in adult males). Pelvic ns moderately

large and deeply incised. Dorsal disc smooth in adults and young.

Ventral surface smooth, apart from snout p. 2 to 3 preorbital

and usually 2 postorbital thorns; 2 to 3 thorns on nape, several

thorns on shoulders in young, reducing with growth; median row

of 20 to 23 thorns on tail from posterior disc to rst dorsal n,

2 widely spaced lateral rows of strong thorns along each side

of tail in females. Tail long and slender (53–54% TL). Dorsal ns

low with rounded margins, well separated at bases with 0 to 2

interdorsal thorns.

Colour: Dorsal surface medium brown, usually covered with many

small, closely set, dark brown spots and large ocellus on each

pectoral n consisng of broad blue spot, encircled by narrow,

dark central ring and pale yellow outer ring. Ventral surface white,

edges of disc slightly darker.

Size: 49 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Endemic to South Africa but possibly also southern

Namibia.

Habitat: Demersal on connental shelf, at depths of 15 to

105 m, possibly deeper.

Threats: Bycaught in a range of sheries including trawl,

commercial and recreaonal line, beach seine and gillnet. When

captured incidentally, the species is oen retained due to its

value and is thus considered a byproduct. Given its restricted

depth range and distribuon, this species has very lile refuge

from sheries.

Notes: Formerly idened as Raja miraletus but now known to

be a separate species. Belongs to recently recognised species

complex that includes the African brown skate (Raja parva). These

two species look very similar but the African brown skate has

larger eyes and more widely spaced dorsal ns. The range of

these two species appears not to overlap, but it is currently not

known whether both species occur in Namibian waters.

Eggcase: Small eggcases, less than 50 mm in length (excluding

horns). Horns relavely equal in length and slightly less than

length of capsule; robust and taper to a point. Dark brown or

black in colour.

Raja ocellifera

TWINEYED SKATE

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Descripon: Small to medium-sized skate with a rhombic disc

(width c. 1.1 mes length), moderately long snout with rm

rostral carlage and its p slightly pronounced. Disc thick,

anterior margin weakly undulate (also in adult males). Pelvic ns

not deeply incised. Dorsal disc prickly in juveniles, largely smooth

in adults. Ventral surface smooth, snout prickly in mature males.

3–5 preorbital and usually 3 postorbital thorns, 2–3 thorns on

nape, large malar patch beside eyes in adult males; thorn present

on shoulders in juveniles but oen absent in adults. Tail thorns

in single row extending from tail base area to rst dorsal n;

addional 1–2 lateral rows of strong thorns along each side.

Tail long and slender (about 55% TL); dorsal ns small with

narrowly rounded margins, bases very widely separated and 2–3

interdorsal thorns.

Colour: Dorsal disc plain yellow-brown (somemes faintly

spoed) with large, conspicuous pectoral ocellus consisng

of large blue spot encircled by dark blue-black central ring and

yellowish outer ring. Ventral surface white with slightly darker

disc edges; no dark-edged pores.

Size: At least 63 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Eastern Central Atlanc, between Mauritania and

Namibia.

Habitat: Demersal on connental shelf and upper slope at depths

of 10 to 300 m; but mainly occurs inshore.

Threats: Probably caught as bycatch in industrial and arsanal

sheries throughout its range, and retained for human

consumpon in some areas. Boom trawl sheries likely have the

biggest impact on this species.

Notes: Formerly idened as Raja miraletus. Belongs to recently

recognised species complex that includes the twineye skate (Raja

ocellifera). These two species look very similar but the African

brown skate has larger eyes and more widely spaced dorsal ns.

The range of these two species appears not to overlap, but it

is currently not known whether both species occur in Namibian

waters, or only one of the two species.

Eggcase: No images or descripon of this species’ eggcases are

available. However, they likely look very similar to the eggcases

of Raja ocellifera.

Raja parva

AFRICAN BROWN SKATE

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Medium to large skate with a rhombic disc (width

1.2–1.4 mes length). Very small orbital thorns, tail moderately

long and slender (51–58% TL). Pelvic ns not deeply incised.

Dorsal disc usually prickly; ventral surface mostly smooth, except

anterior disc margins in adults. Small nuchal and shoulder thorns

occasionally present; median row of thorns extending along trunk

and tail in males, addional lateral row in females, 0–2 interdorsal

thorns. Dorsal ns with rounded margins, well separated at bases.

Colour: Upper surface of beige or greyish brown, with numerous

pale circular blotches and darker greyish bands encircled with

small, dark grey or dark brown spots and ecks; paern more

or less symmetrically arranged. Dark pectoral markings somemes

present. Occasionally sooty markings on dorsal surface of rostrum.

Disc margins darker purplish-brown. Undersurface whish, sooty

grey along disc margins; oen with dark blotches around cloaca

and on belly. Tail marbled with dark blotches or enrely dark.

Size: 91 cm (TL).

Distribuon: East Atlanc and southwest Indian Ocean,

Mauritania to South Africa; possibly Madagascar and Maurius.

Habitat: Benthic, inshore on connental and insular shelves and

slopes, from inshore to depths of 690 m. Oen encountered in

shallow coastal waters in southern Namibia.

Threats: May be taken as bycatch in industrial and arsanal

sheries throughout its range and likely retained for human

consumpon in some areas. Informaon on discards and

associated mortality is not available. In Namibia, has been

recorded as bycatch in the boom trawl shery for hake, and has

been used by some shore-based anglers as bait for large sharks, a

pracce which is strongly discouraged.

Eggcase: Medium-sized eggcase, slightly convex long edges.

About 75 mm in length, excluding horns. Horns tapered and

become lamentous at their ps; posterior horns about 1.2 mes

length of anterior horns. Surface densely covered in bres, but

the surface is smooth beneath these bres. Broad lateral keel

c. 8% of maximum egg case width, and posterior apron c. 1.3

mes length of anterior apron. Common on beaches in southern

Namibia.

Vals doringrug-rog

Raja straeleni

BISCUIT SKATE

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Descripon: Medium-sized skate with a heart-shaped disc (width

c. 1.1 to 1.2 mes length). Disc anterior margins undulate. Dorsal

disc mostly smooth, spinulose on anterior margins; ventral surface

largely smooth, except along anterior disc margins. Pelvic ns not

deeply incised. 2–15 small thorns on snout and rostrum, few

orbital thorns in young but forming rosee in adults, triangular

patch of thorns on nape and shoulder, developing with growth.

Malar thorns in males. Median row of 18–24 thorns on trunk and

tail (reducing in adults) and few parallel rows of thorns in young,

increasing in number (35–40) and in size with growth, becoming

larger than those of the median row. Tail slender (c. 55% TL);

dorsal ns with rounded margins, usually conuent at bases, no

interdorsal thorns.

Colour: Upper surface of disc plain dusky brown, mostly dark.

Ventral surface variable, from almost uniformly dark with areas

only around nostrils and gills pale, to whish with broad dark

margins and dark blotches. Ventral surface of tail white or variably

dark.

Size: At least 75 cm TL.

Distribuon: East Atlanc and southwestern Indian Ocean,

between Canary Islands and South Africa.

Habitat: Benthic on connental shelf and slope at depths of

around 100 to 1,700 m.

Threats: Taken as bycatch in inshore and oshore demersal trawl

and hake longline sheries in South Africa. In Namibia, Rajella

skates (possibly inclulding bigthorn skates) are a frequent bycatch

of the boom trawl shery for hake. This species may have some

refuge at depth from the impact of shing acvies.

Notes: Many of the Rajella skate species in Namibian waters can

be dicult to tell apart. This species can be disnguished from

the leopard skate by its thicker disc, plain dark dorsal coloraon,

and strong, pale thorns.

Eggcase: Small eggcase, c. 55 mm in length; smooth surface

with very ne striaons. Anterior horns robust, tapered with

aachment bres near ps; posterior horns robust, tapered, c.

1.7 mes length of anterior horns. Posterior apron 1.5 mes that

of anterior apron width. Lateral keel broad (c. 18% of maximum

eggcase width) and feathery, extending along whole eggcase

length, between ps of horns.

Rajella barnardi

BIGTHORN SKATE

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Medium-sized skate with a thick, heart-shaped disc

(width 1.2–1.4 mes length). Snout very short with rm rostral

carlage and small triangular p. Disc anterior margins undulate.

Pelvic ns not deeply incised. Dorsal disc very prickly and rough

with strong thornlets along anterior margins of disc; ventral

surface smooth. Few rostral thorns, rosee of 5–9 orbital thorns,

small triangular patch of 4-5 thorns on nape and 3-4 on each

shoulder. Dense band of large thorns and smaller thornlets along

trunk and tail. Tail longer than body (59–63% TL); with central row

of 22–33 large-based thorns, smallest near rear of tail; central

thorns anked by irregular parallel row on trunk and 2 rows on

each side on tail. Dorsal ns with rounded margins, conuent at

bases; no interdorsal thorns.

Colour: Uniform light greyish to brownish dorsally, somemes

with scaered darker spots; young usually with white-barred

paern. Ventral surface white.

Size: 65 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Namibia and South Africa.

Habitat: Benthic on outer connental shelf and upper slope, at

depths of 100 to 1,100 m.

Threats: Caught in demersal trawl sheries. Large numbers of

Rajella sp. skates are caught as bycatch in the Namibian boom

trawl shery for hake.

Notes: Many of the Rajella skate species in Namibian waters can

be dicult to tell apart. The tail of this species is longer than the

precloacal length, a feature which should allow this species to be

disnguished from other Rajella species.

Eggcase: Smooth, nely striated surface under brous covering.

Narrow lateral keel, c. 6.3% of maximum egg case width.

Posterior horns taper to acute p. (Described from 2 parally

developed eggcases from a single animal). Dimensions of this

species’ eggcases are unknown and no images or descripons of

completely developed eggcases were available.

Rajella caudaspinosa

MUNCHKIN SKATE

©alexisaronson

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Descripon: Medium-sized skate with heart-shaped disc in

juveniles and more angular disc in adults (width c. 1.2 mes

length); anterior margins undulate. Dorsal disc prickly; ventral

surface smooth. Pelvic ns not deeply incised. Few small rostral

thorns, rosee of orbital thorns, triangular patch of c. 16 thorns

on nape and shoulder, malar thorns present. Central row of 20–

32 thorns on trunk and tail, reduced with growth; parallel rows of

50–60 thorns on tail in juveniles, extending onto trunk in larger

individuals. Tail slender and about as long as body. Dorsal ns

with rounded margins, conuent at bases; no interdorsal thorns.

Colour: Dorsal surface of disc plain greyish brown in juveniles;

becomes paler in adults. Subtle banding or blotches may be

present dorsally. Ventral surface white with broad dark margins.

Ventral surface of tail moled with white p.

Size: 82 cm (TL).

Distribuon: East Atlanc and southwestern Indian Ocean;

Rockall Trough (Brish Isles) to South Africa.

Habitat: Demersal on connental slope at depths of 400 to

1,640 m.

Threats: Occurs at depths beyond most shing acvies, but is

likely captured at least occasionally in deep-water boom trawl

sheries in Namibia, and any expansion of such sheries would

likely result in increased bycatch of this species.

Eggcase: Rectangular capsule with straight long edges and

straight-edged posterior apron. Measures at least 80 mm

(excluding horns; described from two eggcases, in utero in a single

skate). Smooth surface with no striaons, anterior and posterior

aprons similar in size; very narrow lateral keel. Horns taper to

lamentous ps; posterior horns almost twice length of anterior

horns.

Rajella dissimilis

GHOST SKATE

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Medium-sized skate. Small, close-set eyes. Disc at

and rather thin, anterior margins undulate. Dorsal disc largely

smooth, prickly on anterior margins; ventral surface prickly in

young, smooth in adults. Pelvic ns not deeply incised. Few small

rostral thorns, rosee of 5–13 orbital thorns (1–2 over spiracles),

triangular patch of thorns on nape and shoulders; central row of

19–29 widely spaced thorns on trunk and tail, anked by parallel

row on each side on trunk and 2–3 rows on tail. Tail about as long

as precloacal length and slender. Dorsal ns with rounded margin,

separated at base; interdorsal thorn somemes present.

Colour: Dorsal disc uniformly medium grey to brownish above,

with black scaered spots (especially in juveniles). Ventral surface

pale or moled with dusky patches and blotches.

Size: 95 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Eastern Central Atlanc and southwestern Indian

Ocean, between Mauritania and South Africa.

Habitat: Demersal on outer shelf and connental slope at depths

of 130 to 1,920 m.

Threats: Has been recorded as a bycatch of inshore and oshore

demersal trawl and hake longline sheries o South Africa, and as

a bycatch of the demersal trawl shery for hake in Namibia. Has

some refuge from current shing acvies in the deeper parts of

its range.

Notes: This species reaches a larger size than other Rajella species

found in Namibian waters, has a subtly more aened disc and a

darker dorsal colouraon.

Eggcase: Measures c. 55 mm in length (excluding horns). Smooth

surface. Disncve broad, frilled lateral keel extending length of

whole eggcase from horn p to p. Anterior horns have brous

tendril aachment; posterior horns c. 1.2 mes length of anterior

horns.

Rajella leoparda

LEOPARD SKATE

©alexisaronson

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Descripon: Medium-sized skate; disc width 1.1–1.2 mes

length; snout moderately long with rm rostral carlage and

pronounced p. Disc anterior margin weakly undulate. Pelvic

ns not deeply incised. Dorsal disc covered with widely spaced

dencles, tail sides spiny; ventral surface enrely smooth. 6–8

orbital thorns, well-developed triangular patch of up to 15 thorns

on nape and shoulder; no median thorn row, 2 parallel rows on

trunk and tail. Tail about as long as body and slender; dorsal ns

with rounded margins, conuent at bases; no interdorsal thorns.

Colour: Dorsal surface of disc medium grey, with darker posterior

disc margins and darker pelvic ns. Dorsal ns dark grey to black.

Ventral surface pale yellow to white with dusky posterior margins.

Tail mostly dark or moled grey and white, base largely white.

Size: 79 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Patchy distribuon in East Atlanc, between

Morocco and South Africa.

Habitat: Benthic on upper and mid-connental slopes at depths

of 495 to 1,475 m.

Threats: Currently has some refuge at depth from the majority

of sheries, but may be threatened by any future expansion of

demersal trawl sheries into deeper waters.

Notes: Many of the Rajella skate species in Namibian waters

can be dicult to tell apart. This species is disnguishable from

congenerics in the East Atlanc by its plain, pale grey dorsal disc,

black dorsal ns, double parallel rows of thorns on the trunk and

tail and the absence of a median row of thorns.

Eggcase: Moderately large, nely striated eggcase, rough to the

touch. Measures c. 90 mm in length (excluding horns). Posterior

horns more than twice the length of anterior horns. Posterior

and anterior apron widths similar. Broad lateral keel, c. 13% of

maximum length of eggcase. (Based on descripon of eggcases in

utero from a single female).

Rajella ravidula

SMOOTHBACK SKATE

Descripon: Huge skate with broad, rhombic disc (width c.

1.5 mes length). Snout long with pointed p and rm rostral

carlage. Anterior disc margin strongly undulate to biconcave;

posterior margin strongly convex. Pelvic ns not deeply incised.

Dorsal disc in young largely smooth, prickly on snout and along

anterior margins, skin rougher with growth; ventral surface

almost enrely smooth in young, becoming more spinulose in

adults. Small juveniles have thorns on rostrum which disappear

with growth. 10–16 median row thorns in young, and up to 30 in

adults, on posterior trunk and tail; lateral row of 7–17 thorns in

young, and 17–39 in adults along lower edges of tail. Young have

only preorbital and postorbital thorns which form orbital rosee

of small thorns with growth. Tail slightly shorter than body (c.

48% TL), broad and depressed at base, tapering distally. Small

dorsal ns with rounded margins, bases separated slightly; 0–2

interdorsal thorns.

Colour: Dorsal surface reddish-brown in young, greyish-blue in

adults with a paern of pale spots which may be more or less

apparent. Ventral surface white with dark disc margins. Dusky tail.

Size: 240 cm (TL).

Distribuon: East Atlanc and southwestern Indian Oceans,

between the Brish Isles and Mozambique, including

Mediterranean Sea.

Habitat: Benthic on sandy and detrital seabeds, from coastal

waters to upper slope at depths of 10 to 750 m.

Threats: Targeted sheries for this species have existed in

certain areas, but have ceased aer localised depleon. May

sll be caught as bycatch in some demersal sheries. Anecdotal

informaon suggests that this species has declined severely in

many parts of its range, but its prevalence in Namibia is unknown.

Caught by shore-based recreaonal anglers in Namibia, the

majority of whom pracce catch-and-release.

Eggcase: Large, almost square capsule with thick walls and coarse

striaons (ridges) on both sides. About 100-138 mm across and

125-183 mm long (excluding horns) when rehydrated, possibly

larger. The horns on one end are short, tapered and strongly

hooked. At the other end of the eggcase, the horns are long,

tapered, aened towards the p and almost as long as the

capsule. Lateral keels up to 20 mm wide.

Spiesneus

Rostroraja alba

SPEARNOSE SKATE / WHITE SKATE

RAYS AND SKATES

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Descripon: Small skate with a broad rhombic disc (width

1.2 mes length); anterior margins weakly undulate. Separate

anterior and posterior pelvic-n lobes. Dorsal surface largely

without dermal dencles. 4–5 small rostral thorns, a rosee of c.

9 regularly spaced, large thorns on each orbital rim and no other

thorns between eyes. 1–5 rows of large thorns on trunk. Tail long

and slender, gradually tapering to p; length c. 1.4–1.7 mes

precloacal length. Tail bears median row of 39–47 thorns and 4

parallel thorn rows. Two separate dorsal ns with 3–6 interdorsal

thorns. Claspers long (post-cloacal length c. 23% of TL) and thick

in adult male.

Colour: Dorsal surface usually brownish-yellow, with poorly

dened, dark brown patches in adults. Juveniles moled with

circular brown spots and brown tail bands. Ventral surface

uniform yellowish white.

Size: 59 cm (TL).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc and southwestern Indian Ocean,

between Namibia and Eastern Cape (South Africa).

Habitat: Demersal on connental shelf and upper slope between

depths of 40 and 545 m.

Threats: Caught in demersal trawl sheries.

Notes: Formerly Cruriraja parcomaculata

Eggcase: A small, vase-shaped eggcase, less than 50 mm in length

(excluding horns). Length of main capsule is more than twice as

long as its width. Anterior horns are hook-shaped; posterior horns

are 45% longer than anterior horns, taper to thin ps and curve

inwards with ne aachment bres. Narrow lateral keels (<1% of

maximum eggcase width).

Cruriraja hulleyi

ROUGHNOSE LEGSKATE

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Very large, plain-coloured sngray with broad

rhombic disc and short snout. Oblique row of white spots at base

of each pectoral n on dorsal surface. Skin lacks dermal dencles,

smooth at all stages of growth. Pelvic ns small. Transverse groove

on belly. Short tail that tapers strongly before caudal sng; very

broad and depressed at base, usually shorter than disc width;

usually with 1 long caudal sng. Specimens exceeding c. 45 cm

DW with a row of spear-shaped or star-shape-based thorns and

tubercles on midline of tail before caudal sng; tail beyond sng

covered with sharp thornlets.

Colour: Uniform greyish-brown to charcoal above; darkest on

tail p and above eye. Inside of spiracles, diagonal row of pores

on each side of disc and pores around side of head are white.

Ventral surface white; margin of disc may be grey or moled;

undersurface of tail usually dusky.

Size: At least 210 cm (DW).

Distribuon: An-tropical, disjunct distribuon in the Indo-

Pacic, southern Africa (Cape Town, South Africa to Zambezi

River, Mozambique), southern Australia (southern Queensland

to Shark Bay, Western Australia), New Zealand (including the

Kermadec and Chatham Islands), and Japan to eastern Russia.

Probably also present in Namibia.

Habitat: Demersal and epipelagic on the connental shelf and

slope in a wide variety of habitats. Can be found in shallower

waters but more commonly between 180 and 480 m.

Threats: Taken as bycatch in trawl, Danish seine, longline, and

purse seine sheries, and is most oen discarded.

Bathytoshia brevicaudata

SHORTTAIL STINGRAY / SMOOTH STINGRAY

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

86 87

Descripon: Large, plain-coloured sngray with broad, rhombic

disc. Disc width 1.2 to 1.3 mes disc length; very thick trunk.

Nasal curtain broadly skirt-shaped. Thorn paern changes with

growth. Juveniles (<60 cm DW) have smooth skin; may have

stellate thorns on midline of disc, more pointed and upright

thorns on back and snout, and some enlarged, broad-based

thorns on tail. Larger individuals have denser coverage of large

thorns centrally; tail beyond sng very thorny. Moderately long,

gently tapering tail, broad and depressed at base, length about 2

mes disc width. Usually 1 caudal sng.

Colour: Uniformly greyish-brown to blackish. May have irregular

white ecks where skin is damaged. Ventral surface white. Dorsal

surface of tail is dark to black; ventral surface is white at base and

black posterior to sng.

Size: 260 cm (DW).

Distribuon: East Atlanc Ocean (southern France to northern

Namibia), including Mediterranean Sea, and Indo-Pacic Ocean.

In Namibia, appears to be present only in far north, close to the

Kunene River mouth.

Habitat: Largely demersal on sandy and muddy substrates, on

connental and insular shelves, and on upper slope, at depths of

0 to 800 m.

Threats: Taken as bycatch in arsanal and industrial shing gears

including trawl, gillnet, set nets, trammel nets and tangle nets,

and is retained for human consumpon in parts of its range.

Occasionally caught by recreaonal anglers in northern Namibia,

most of whom pracse catch-and-release.

Bruinrog

Bathytoshia lata

BROWN STINGRAY

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Broad rhombic disc; large, protruding eyes. Pelvic

ns broad with broadly rounded ps. Small, skirt-shaped nasal

curtain with strongly fringed margin. Tail short (less than twice

disc width) and gradually tapered before caudal sng.

Colour: Dorsal disc golden brown with disncve, complex blue

marbling paern. Edge of disc and tail greyish-blue. Uniformly

white ventral surface.

Size: 75 cm (DW).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc and southwestern Indian Ocean,

between Angola and South Africa.

Habitat: Benthic mainly in shallow coastal and estuarine habitats

in summer, moving to oshore waters (to depths of 110 m) in

winter.

Threats: Captured by trawl, commercial and recreaonal line,

beach seine, and gill net sheries in parts of southern Africa.

Regularly caught by recreaonal anglers in Namibia. Climate

change and warming of coastal waters may result in habitat loss

or a shi in range for this species.

Blou pylstert

Dasyas chrysonota

BLUE STINGRAY

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

88 89

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Medium-sized sngray. Rounded, blunt snout.

Disncve disc shape – curved anteriorly as far as pectoral n

ps, then relavely straight posterior disc margins. Disc broad,

width 1.3 to 1.4 mes length. Pelvic ns rounded, usually barely

extended beyond disc. Tail broad-based, tapering strongly,

becoming whip-like beyond caudal sng; 2.5 to 3 mes disc

length (when undamaged), with 1 or 2 very long, serrated sngs

and and a long, disnct, membranous ridge on ventral surface of

tail. Larger individuals have scaered dermal dencles on dorsal

disc and a median row of small thorns from nape to tail sng

origin.

Colour: Dorsal surface uniformly dark purplish-black, including

whip-like poron of tail. Ventral surface and tail dark brownish or

black. Cloaca, thorns and sng(s) mostly pale.

Size: 80 cm, but usually less than 60 cm (DW).

Distribuon: Circumglobal in all tropical and temperate oceans.

Habitat: Pelagic, usually between the surface and 100 m, but has

been reported as deep as 381 m.

Threats: Frequently caught by pelagic longline sheries for

tunas, billshes, and pelagic sharks and to a lesser extent other

gear, including pelagic gillnets and trawls. Mostly discarded, but

retained and ulised in some areas. Rates of capture in Namibia’s

longline sheries are unknown.

Pteroplatytrygon violacea

PELAGIC STINGRAY / VIOLET STINGRAY

RAYS AND SKATES

Descripon: Very large buery ray with a rudimentary tentacle

on inner posterior margin of spiracle. Very short tail with 3 to 5

black bands (oen poorly demarcated), one or more caudal sngs

and without a dorsal n. Very broad disc, 1.8 to 2.2 mes disc

length.

Colour: Dorsal surface greyish or brown; somemes with small

dark spots or irregular pale spots or blotches, oen in a marbled

paern. Ventral surface white or brownish.

Size: 250 cm (DW).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc and southwestern Indian

Oceans, between Namibia and southern Mozambique.

Habitat: Benthic inshore, mainly on muddy and sandy seabeds,

to 75 m.

Threats: In South Africa, frequently caught by prawn trawlers

and possibly in commercial line sheries. Occasionally caught

(and usually released alive) by recreaonal anglers in Namibia,

but levels of post-release mortality are unknown and depend on

handling pracces. May also be suscepble to habitat degradaon,

especially in estuarine habitats.

Rem-vinderrog

Gymnura natalensis

BACKWATER BUTTERFLY RAY / DIAMOND RAY

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

Descripon: Medium to large-sized eagle ray with even

colouraon on dorsal surface. Disc diamond- or rhombus-shaped,

width about twice its length. Short, eshy, rounded snout is

joined to pectoral ns by a ridge below eyes. Long tail (2 to 2.5

mes length of disc) with single small dorsal n and 1 or 2 large

caudal sngs behind it.

Colour: Dorsal surface uniformly dusky bronze to chocolate

brown or black; no markings. Ventral surface mostly white with

brownish pectoral n ps and posterior margin of disc.

Size: Up to 150 cm, but mostly less than 83 cm (DW).

Distribuon: East Atlanc Ocean, Mediterranean and

southwestern Indian Ocean, between Scotland and Kenya.

Habitat: Largely coastal demersal, preferring shallow bays,

estuaries and lagoons with muddy or sandy seabeds, but can be

found to depths of 510 m.

Threats: Taken as bycatch in industrial and arsanal shing gears

including trawl, gillnet, set net, tangle net, and trammel net, and

is retained for human consumpon in some parts of its range. The

schooling behaviour of this species means that large numbers

can be shed out in one haul. Regularly caught by recreaonal

anglers in Namibia and South Africa; usually released alive but

rates of post-release mortality are unknown. In Namibia, habitat

destrucon in coastal waters may pose a threat to this species.

Arendrog

Myliobas aquila

COMMON EAGLERAY

Chimaeras are carlaginous sh in the order Chimaeriformes, somemes referred to as ratsh,

rabbitsh or ghost sharks. There are about 47 species of chimaeras worldwide, ranging in

length from about 60 to 200 cm. There are thought to be eight species present in Namibian

waters. Found in temperate to cold waters of all oceans, most chimaeras inhabit the deep sea,

to depths of 2,500 m or more; just one species in Namibia is encountered in the coastal zone.

They are weak swimmers and are delicate when caught, dying quickly out of water. Their food

consists of small shes and invertebrates. Females lay large, elongated eggs protected by tough

eggcases.

Chimaeras’ closest living relaves are sharks and rays, but they are very dierent to both these

groups in several ways. Chimaeras mostly have a tapered body form, with large pectoral and

pelvic ns, large eyes and two dorsal ns, the rst preceded by a sharp spine. Unlike sharks

and rays, chimaeras have a single external gill opening, covered by a ap called an operculum

(as the bony shes have), on each side of the body. The upper jaw is fused with the skull in

chimaeras, in contrast to the elasmobranchs which have an upper jaw that arculates with the

skull. Chimaeras have scaleless skin, lacking the rough dencles characterisc of most sharks,

skates and rays, and they are smooth and almost slimy to the touch. Like sharks and rays, male

chimaeras possess external reproducve organs (claspers) derived from the pelvic ns and used

to introduce sperm into the body of the female. However, male chimaeras, unique amongst

shes, also have a pair of dencle-studded grasping organs, the prepelvic tenaculae, just in

front of the pelvic n bases, and a dencle-covered frontal tenaculum on the forehead. These

structures are believed to help the male in grasping the female during mang.

Because chimaeras inhabit mostly deep waters and are of lile commercial value, there has

been remarkably lile research done on them and very lile is known about the lifecycles or

the conservaon status of most of the species described here. The eggcases of some chimaera

species have never been documented and thus, for several species in this guide, we have been

unable to include eggcase illustraons or descripons.

CHIMAERAS

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

92 93

Descripon: Smooth body, slimy to the touch. Trunk-like lobe

projecng downwards from snout. Venomous spine protruding

from front of dorsal n. Large, broad pectoral ns; long, pointed

upper caudal lobe.

Colour: Silver or bronze, with brown markings on anks and head,

but the body can ash with various colours when the animal is

captured and handled.

Size: 120 cm TL.

Distribuon: Mainly along the southern and western Cape of

South Africa but extending into Eastern Cape waters and Namibia.

Habitat: Shallow coastal waters (the only chimaera in Namibia

found in coastal waters).

Threats: Caught as targeted and incidental catch by line, beach

seine, surface and demersal gillnet, and demersal trawl and

longline commercial sheries in South Africa, and suspected to

be captured in the hake longline shery but not reported. There

is also a shery targeng St. Joseph sharks in South Africa. In

Namibia, shore-based recreaonal anglers catch St. Joseph sharks,

but usually release them alive. Fishing pressure on this species is

considered high, but its eects on the species are unknown.

Eggcase: A hairy, brown, spindle-shaped eggcase with a broad

frill around each edge; 130 - 180 mm in length. Convex shape

on one side and a aer surface on the other. Pale yellow to dark

brown in colour, turning black when they have dried out. These

eggcases are laid directly on the seabed and take around 9 to 12

months to hatch.

Josef

Callorhinchus capensis

ST JOSEPH SHARK / ELEPHANTFISH

CHIMAERAS

Descripon: Body elongate, slender, tapering from head to

whip–like tail lament. Snout short, conical, and bluntly pointed;

lateral line canals on head appear as open grooves. Large,

triangular pectoral n reaching to pelvic n origin when laid back.

Distal edge of pelvic ns slightly rounded. Pelvic claspers short,

not extending past distal p of pelvic ns. First dorsal n high,

triangular, preceded by a keeled spine, strongly serrated along

posterior edge of p. When depressed, spine p reaches beyond

origin of second dorsal n. Second dorsal n long, slightly higher

along posterior one-third of n length, but margin not undulang.

Small, low anal n with pointed p. Caudal lament length about

44–57% total body length.

Colour: A uniform blackish brown colouraon with dark blue

streaking and longitudinal light and dark stripes along anks.

Pectoral, pelvic and dorsal ns medium to dark brown, with a

blueish colour near the edges of the ns and lighter along

posterior edges. Dorsal n spine light brown. Caudal n lobes

brown, darker near n base and lighter near p.

Size: 93 cm TL (53 cm BDL).

Distribuon: Known only from o Lüderitz, Namibia, to the

Cape of Good Hope and eastwards to Algoa Bay, Eastern Cape

Province, South Africa.

Habitat: Upper connental slope from 680 to at least 1,016 m.

Threats: Taken as bycatch in demersal trawl and longline sheries

targeng hake in South Africa, and potenally also in Namibia.

Not ulised; the eect of sheries-related mortality, if any, is

unknown. May have some refuge at depth since much of the

species’ range is beyond current shing acvity.

Notes: This is the only species of the genus Chimaera known to

occur in the southeastern Atlanc Ocean. Three other shortnosed

chimaera species are present, belonging to the genus Hydrolagus.

They can be separated from this species by the fact that all

Hydrolagus species lack an anal n. This species was previously

referred to as Chimaera monstrosa, which is common in European

waters. Studies have since revealed that the southern African

‘form’ is in fact a dierent species.

Eggcase: No images or descripon of this species’ eggcases are

available.

Chimaera notafricana

CAPE CHIMAERA

©alexisaronson

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94 95

Descripon: Very large chimaera; body very stout, tapering from

large head to relavely short, lamentous tail. Snout bluntly

pointed. Eyes large, 16–25% head length. First dorsal n high

and triangular, with short n-base; n preceded by stout spine,

smooth along its anterior edge with two rows of serraons along

posterior edge for distal one-third to half of spine length. First

dorsal n spine does not exceed n height, second dorsal n

height relavely even along enre n length. Pectoral ns broadly

triangular, reaching to pelvic n base when laid back. Caudal

n dorsal and ventral lobes rounded, upper lobe height slightly

greater than lower lobe height. Caudal lament ends in blunt p.

Skin rubbery, not deciduous, usually remains mostly intact.

Colour: Uniformly dark brown to purplish-black; ns with purplish

nge. Some individuals may be slightly moled, but most do not

have any disnct paerning or blotches.

Size: 147 cm TL (96 cm BDL).

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy distribuon in the North

and East Atlanc Ocean. May be more widespread o the west

coast of Africa than presently reported.

Habitat: Found on connental slope, ridges, seamounts and

abyssal plains, from depths of 300 m to at least 2,410 m, but is

most common below 1,000 m.

Threats: Not targeted commercially, but is occasionally recorded

as bycatch in deepwater trawl and longline sheries targeng

deep-sea species. Its occurrence in very deep habitats may oer

the species considerable refuge from current shing acvies.

Notes: Also called Atlanc chimaera.

Eggcase: No images or descripon of this species’ eggcases are

available.

Hydrolagus anis

SMALL-EYED CHIMAERA / SMALL-EYED RABBITFISH

Descripon: Small chimaera with blunt, rounded snout. Second

dorsal n slightly indented in centre; long, curved dorsal n spine,

equal to or exceeding rst dorsal n height. Adult males with

lateral patch of 1–3 dencles on each prepelvic tenaculum.

Colour: Light brown, head oen darker than the trunk; dark

brown ns that lighten near the body margin. Ventral surface pale

greyish-brown.

Size: At least 98 cm TL (47 cm BDL).

Distribuon: Southeast Atlanc Ocean (Angola to South Africa)

and western Indian Ocean (South Africa to Kenya).

Habitat: Bathydemersal, found between 300 and 1,030 m, but

most common between 300 and 500 m.

Threats: Taken as bycatch in South African demersal trawl

and longline sheries targeng hake, and likely caught in other

deepwater trawl and longline sheries throughout its range. The

eect of shing, if any, is currently unknown.

Eggcase: Narrow, spindle-shaped eggcase. No good-quality

images, descripon or measurements were available for this

species’ eggcases.

Hydrolagus africanus

AFRICAN CHIMAERA

CHIMAERAS

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

96 97

Descripon: Very small chimaera with short, stout body; rapidly

tapering behind pelvic ns to very long, narrow, whip-like

lamentous tail. Snout short, conical, and bluntly pointed. Large,

oval shaped eyes (about 35% of head length). First dorsal n

high and triangular, with short n base. Slender dorsal n spine

reaches to or slightly beyond rst dorsal n p when depressed;

posterior spine edges not strongly serrated. Interdorsal n space

small; rst and second dorsal ns joined by eshy ridge of skin.

Second dorsal n long with disnct concave dorsal margin nearly

separang n into anterior and posterior porons, about mid-

distance along n. Second dorsal n height less than one-third

rst dorsal n height. Pectoral ns broadly rounded, reaching

beyond pelvic n origins when laid back. Pelvic ns stoutly

rounded along base. No anal n. Caudal lament length about

75% of body length. Skin deciduous, smooth.

Colour: Uniform light to dark brown or greyish, with darker n

edges. Second dorsal n with light coloured band at base and

dark distal edge.

Size: At least 80 cm TL (35 cm BDL).

Distribuon: Thought to have widespread distribuon across

North, Central, and Southeast Atlanc Ocean, and Mediterranean

Sea.

Habitat: Connental slope at depths of 450 to 1,933 m, but

mostly below 800 m.

Threats: Has been recorded as minor bycatch in deep-water

trawl, longline, and gillnet sheries.

Notes: This species can be disnguished from Hydrolagus anis

by the concave second dorsal n and by the eyes, which measure

over one-third of the head length.

Eggcase: Spindle-shaped eggcase, convex dorsal and ventral

surfaces. Long, narrow posterior poron (which contains the

elongated tail of the chimaera) with a narrow lateral keel.

Measures at least 11.5 cm from p to p, possibly more (based

on photographs of a single museum specimen).

Hydrolagus mirabilis

LARGE-EYED CHIMAERA

Descripon: Forehead slopes to long, pointed and aened

rostrum, which somemes curves slightly upwards; snout p

bears protuberances. First dorsal n relavely small. Slightly

curved dorsal n spine equal to or longer than rst dorsal height,

reaching second dorsal n origin when depressed; spine keeled

and weakly serrated along distal half of length. Interdorsal space

small; second dorsal n somewhat convex but relavely even in

height. Pectoral ns broad and long, ps reaching pelvic n origin

when folded back. Caudal n lower lobe is about twice as deep

as the upper lobe; no tubercles on upper edge; caudal lament

short. No anal n.

Colour: Uniformly light grey or brown to dark brown. Darker n

edges, pelvic ns blackish.

Size: 120 cm TL.

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy distribuon worldwide

except for Indian Ocean.

Habitat: Inhabits depths from 200 to 3,100 m, but mostly deeper

than 500 m. Has been observed at depth by remote operated

vehicles, over so mud and gravel seabeds.

Threats: Not known to be targeted by commercial sheries,

but is caught as bycatch in commercial deepwater boom trawl

sheries.

Notes: The smallspine spooksh (Harrioa haeckeli) is similar in

appearance to H. raleighana. It has not yet been conrmed from

the southeast Atlanc.

Eggcase: A spindle-shaped eggcase with a broad frill around each

edge, in which closely spaced ribs run perpendicular to the edge

of the eggcase cavity (ribs are far more numerous than in the

similarly shaped eggcase of C. capensis). The central capsule is

convex on one side, aer on the other and tapers at each end,

with the posterior taper, which contains the elongated tail of the

chimaera, longer and narrower. Dimensions unknown.

Harrioa raleighana

NARROWNOSE CHIMAERA

CHIMAERAS

©alexisaronson

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

98 99

Descripon: Longnose chimaera with narrow, slightly aened

snout and blunt edged, ridged tooth plates. First dorsal n spine

height greater than n height. Second dorsal n uniform in

height. Pectoral ns short and broad. Anal n present, located

close to lower caudal n. Caudal n with short terminal lament;

no tubercles on upper edge.

Colour: Body uniformly mid-brown to dark brown, with no

disncve blotches or markings. Pectoral, pelvic, dorsal and

caudal ns blackish-brown.

Size: 150 cm TL (58 cm BDL).

Distribuon: West coast of Africa (Western Sahara to Namibia),

and northern Indian Ocean.

Habitat: Upper connental slope at depths of 200 to 622 m.

Threats: Bycaught in large numbers in deep-water trawl, longline,

and gillnet sheries o India. Likely also a bycatch of demersal

trawl sheries in other parts of its range, and has been recorded

frequently as bycatch in the Namibian boom trawl shery for

hake.

Notes: This and Chimaera notafricana are the only known chimaera

species with an anal n, found in the southeast Atlanc region.

Eggcase: No images or descripon of this species’ eggcases are

available.

Neoharrioa pinnata

SICKLEFIN CHIMAERA

Descripon: Longnose chimaera with long, straight snout, eshy

at base and tapering to pointed p without protuberances.

Smooth, sharp-edged tooth plates; mouth anterior to eye. First

dorsal n triangular in shape, with long eshy base. Dorsal spine

taller than height of rst dorsal n; when depressed, dorsal spine

reaches halfway to origin of second dorsal n. Spine keeled

anteriorly with small serraons on distal poron of the posterior

edge (may be reduced in large adults). Long, slightly convex second

dorsal n, well separated from both rst dorsal and dorsal caudal

ns. Dorsal caudal n very narrow, appears as thick eshy ridge

on dorsal surface of tail. Paired caudal tubercles present along the

distal edge of the dorsal caudal n in adults (more pronounced in

males). Ventral caudal n deepest anteriorly. Tail ends in a rm,

whip-like caudal lament, somemes broken but if intact, can be

4–32% body length. Pectoral ns narrow and long (rather than

triangular, broad shape in other chimaera species). No anal n.

Colour: Uniformly pale to light brown or greyish-brown with

darker ns, darker dorsally and lighter ventrally. Whish on

ventral surface of snout.

Size: 147 cm TL (90 cm BDL).

Distribuon: Widespread but patchy distribuon in East and

West Atlanc Ocean, and in western Indian Ocean o South

Africa and Mozambique.

Habitat: Benthic on upper and mid-connental slopes at depths

of 400 to 1,800 m, but generally deeper than 1,000 m.

Threats: Taken as occasional bycatch in deep-water trawl sheries

throughout its range.

Notes: Previously called straightnose rabbitsh. Can be

disnguished from the other chimaera in this region with a long

and broad nose, Neoharrioa pinnata, by the fact that R. atlanca

does not have an anal n.

Eggcase: Hollow, central, spindle-shaped capsule surrounded by

fan-like lateral web. Lateral ange fairly narrow; central capsule

tapers to a long, narrow space which contains the elongated tail

of the chimaera. Measures c. 180 mm long. (Descripon and

dimensions based on an image of a single eggcase)

Rhinochimaera atlanca

ATLANTIC LONGNOSE CHIMAERA

CHIMAERAS

©alexisaronson

101

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

100

GLOSSARY

Anterior - To the front (of the body or of a parcular body part).

Barbel - A slender, whisker-like sensory organ near the mouth.

Batoid - An elasmobranch with a aened body, with the pectoral

ns fused to the sides of the head and the gill openings on the

ventral surface (i.e. a skate or ray).

BCLME - See Benguela Current.

Benguela Current - The broad, northward owing ocean current

which extends from roughly Cape Point (South Africa) in the

south, along the length of the Namibian coastline, to the posion

of the Angola-Benguela front in the north, at around 16°S. The

upwelling system inshore of the Benguela Current sustains the

producve Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME).

Benthic - Referring to organisms that live on the seabed.

Boreal - The cold temperate region south of the Arcc.

Bycatch - The part of a shery’s catch taken accidentally, usually

in addion to the target species. Broadly this refers to all non-

target catch including organisms which are either discarded or

landed.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) - A colourless, odourless gas which is

naturally present in air (about 0.03 % of the earth’s atmosphere).

It is added to the atmosphere naturally when organisms respire or

decompose (decay), and through other natural processes, but is

added to the atmosphere in excessive quanes through human

acvies, such as the burning of fossil fuels.

c. - Abbreviaon of the Lan circa, meaning ‘about’. Used to

indicate that a number is a rough or esmated value, rather than

an exact amount.

Carlaginous sh - Fishes with skeletons composed mostly

of carlage; includes all sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras. In

contrast, bony sh have a skeleton composed mostly of bone.

Caudal - Referring to the tail or posterior end of the body.

Caudal keel - A dermal keel on the caudal peduncle which may

be present ventrally and extends onto the base of the caudal n,

or may be present on each side of the peduncle (lateral keels).

Caudal peduncle - The part of the pre-caudal tail which extends

from the inserons of the dorsal and anal ns to the front of the

caudal n. A highly modied, rigid structure that facilitates the

side-to-side movements of the caudal n.

Chondrichthyan - A member of the class Chondrichthyes, which

includes all sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras.

Chondrichthyes - The taxonomic class containing aquac, gill-

breathing, jawed, nned vertebrates with primarily carlaginous

skeletons, one to seven external gill openings, oral teeth in

transverse rows on their jaws and mostly small, toothlike scales

GLOSSARY

(dermal dencles). Somemes broadly referred to as ‘sharks’. The

term chondrichthyes is from the Greek chondros (carlage) and

ichthos (sh).

Claspers - Paired copulatory organs present on the pelvic ns of

male chondrichthyans, which facilitate the internal ferlisaon of

eggs.

Climate breakdown - The term which has replaced ‘global

warming’ or ‘climate change’, to describe the unprecedented

changes in the global climate, caused by human acvies.

Cloaca - A common opening for digesve, urinary, and

reproducve tracts in many shes.

Demersal - see benthic.

Dermal dencle - A small, tooth-like scale found in carlaginous

shes. Usually small, close-set and covering the whole body, but

many batoids, chimaeras and some sharks have enlarged dermal

dencles in reduced numbers.

Dorsal - On the top (upper side) of the body.

Dorso-ventrally aened - A horizontally aened body, like a

pancake.

Disc width (DW) - The standard measurement for skates and

rays; a straight-line measurement from the p of one pectoral n

to the other (from wingp to wingp; see Figure 2).

Ecosystem - A living community of dierent species together

with their non-living environment.

Eggcase - Hard casing deposited by a female shark, skate or

chimaera, which contains a ferlised egg that will develop into

a shark, skate or chimaera pup, and a yolk sac that will nourish

the embryo during its development. Eggcases are made from a

type of collagen and feel tough and leathery when wet, but brile

when they have dried out. They are oen called mermaids’ purses.

Eggcases oen have pairs of tendrils or horn-like structures

extending from their corners, or at anges on their sides or a

ange that spirals around the eggcase, which can anchor it to the

seabed or to a structure (e.g. kelp) near the sea oor. See Figure

5 for the terms used to describe the parts of an eggcase.

Elasmobranch - A collecve term for sharks, skates and rays.

Endemic - A species only found in a specic area. These species

can be naonal endemics, found only in one ecosystem or along

part or the whole of a country’s coastline, or regional endemics,

found o the coast of or in adjacent countries with similar habitat,

but not elsewhere.

Epipelagic zone - The part of the ocean beyond the connental

and insular shelves, in oceanic waters, from the surface to the

limits of sunlight penetraon (about 200 m depth). Also known as

the sunlit sea or ‘blue water’.

Falcate - Sickle-shaped or recurved.

Food web - The natural interconnecon of food chains, or a

representaon of what eats what in an ecosystem.

Fossil fuels - Fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, found in the

Earth’s crust and formed in the geological past from the remains

of living organisms. They contain carbon and hydrogen, and can

be burned for energy.

Free rear ps - A moveable rear corner or ap of the pectoral,

pelvic, dorsal and anal ns, which is separated from the trunk or

tail by a notch and an inner margin. In some sharks the rear ps

of some ns are very elongated.

Habitat - The area(s) where an animal lives.

Inseron - The posterior or rear end of the n base in all ns

except the caudal n.

IUCN - Internaonal Union for the Conservaon of Nature.

An internaonal organisaon working in the eld of nature

conservaon and sustainable use of natural resources. It is

involved in data gathering and analysis, research, eld projects,

advocacy, and educaon. The IUCN’s mission is to ‘inuence,

encourage and assist sociees throughout the world to conserve

nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable

and ecologically sustainable’.

Labial furrows/ grooves - a fold or groove in the esh either

anterior to (upper labial furrow) or posterior to (lower labial fold)

the mouth.

Lateral - On the side of the body or part of the body.

Mermaid’s purse - See Eggcase.

Mesopelagic zone - The intermediate depths of the ocean,

between about 200 and 1,000 metres deep.

Nasal aps - One of a set of dermal aps associated with the

nostrils, and serving to direct water into and out of them.

Nasoral grooves - Shallow or deep grooves on the ventral surface

of the snout between the nostrils and the mouth, seen in many

boom-dwelling, relavely inacve chondrichthyan species.

These grooves are covered by expanded anterior nasal aps

that reach the mouth, and form water channels that allow the

respiratory current to pull water into and out of the nostrils and

into the mouth. This allows the animal to acvely irrigate its nasal

cavies while sing sll or moving slowly.

Nuchal - Nape of neck. Usually refers to area just behind head,

where some skate species have one or more thorns.

Origin - The anterior or front end of the n base in all ns. The

caudal n has upper and lower origins, but no inseron.

Peduncle - See Caudal peduncle.

Pelagic - Referring to organisms that live or spend me in the

water column (as opposed to on the seaoor).

Photomark - Marking on the body of a shark, indicang where

photophores are located.

Photophores - Small bioluminescent organs that produce light,

found on lanternsharks and kiten sharks.

Plankton - The small and microscopic organisms driing or

oang in the sea or freshwater, consisng chiey of diatoms,

protozoans, small crustaceans, and the eggs and larval stages of

larger animals.

Posterior - Rearwards, i.e. towards the tail.

Precaudal pit - A notch in the caudal peduncle, where it joins the

caudal n.

Precloacal length - The length between the p of the rostrum

and the anterior edge of the cloaca.

Producers - Organisms that make their own food, using energy

from the sun (or in the case of deep-sea environments, chemicals

in the water), and convert it into usable energy in the form of

sugar, or food. In aquac environments, the most common

producers are algae, including phytoplankton (microscopic marine

algae) and seaweeds.

Saddle - Darker dorsal marking that extends downwards either

side of the shark’s body but does not form a band around the

whole body.

Snout - The part of a chondrichthyan in front of its eyes or mouth,

including the nostrils.

Spiracle - An opening between the eye and rst gill opening

of most sharks, skates and rays, represenng the modied gill

opening between the jaws and hyoid (tongue) arch. Water

is taken in through the spiracles in order to venlate the gills,

and is expelled through the gill slits. Spiracles have been lost in

chimaeras and some sharks.

Temperate - The part of the earth’s surface lying between the

tropic of Cancer and the Arcc Circle in the Northern Hemisphere

or between the tropic of Capricorn and the Antarcc Circle in the

Southern Hemisphere. Characterised by mild temperatures.

Tendrils - The long, curly bres that extend from the corners

of some skate and shark eggcases, and are used to aach the

eggcase to structures on the seabed.

Total length (TL) - The standard measurement for sharks,

chimaeras and some batoids, from the p of the snout or rostrum

to the end of the upper lobe of the caudal n (see Figures 1 and 2).

Tropics - The part of the earth’s surface surrounding the equator,

between the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere and

the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere. ‘Tropical’

waters are warmer than those at higher latudes, but not all

ocean waters within this zone are tropical.

Ventral - On the underside of the body.

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

102 103

INDEX

English names

Angelshark, sawback 38

Angelshark, smoothback 39

Angular roughshark 35

Backwater buery ray 89

Basking shark 44

Blue shark 63

Blue sngray 87

Bluntnose guitarsh 66

Bluntnose sixgill shark 12

Bluntnose spurdog 16

Bramble shark 14

Broadnose sevengill shark 13

Bronze whaler shark 60

Brown sngray 86

Bull shark 61

Cape numbsh 67

Catshark, African sawtail 50

Catshark, false 55

Catshark, eshynose 47

Catshark, Izak 52

Catshark, Saldanha 49

Catshark, smalleyed 48

Catshark, West African 54

Catshark, yellowspoed 53

Chimaera, African 95

Chimaera, Atlanc longnose 99

Chimaera, Cape 93

Chimaera, large-eyed 96

Chimaera, narrownose 97

Chimaera, sicklen 98

Chimaera, small-eyed 94

Cookiecuer shark 36

Copper shark 60

Cowley’s torpedo ray 68

Crocodile shark 41

Dark shyshark 51

Diamond ray 89

Dogsh, arrowhead 22

Dogsh, birdbeak 21

Dogsh, black 24

Dogsh, bluntnose spiny 16

Dogsh, longnose 23

Dogsh, longnose African spiny 17

Dogsh, longnose velvet 32

Dogsh, roughskin 31

Dogsh, spiny / piked 15

Dogsh, velvet 34

INDEX

Eagleray, common 90

Elephantsh 92

Great white shark 45

Guitarsh, bluntnose 66

Gulper shark 18

Gulper shark, lile 20

Gulper shark, leafscale 19

Lanternshark, blurred smooth 25

Lanternshark, brown 26

Lanternshark, sculpted 29

Lanternshark, southern 27

Lanternshark, smooth 28

Night shark 62

Pelagic sngray 88

Ragged-tooth shark 40

Roughnose legskate 84

Saint Joseph shark 92

Sand ger shark 40

School shark 56

Sharpnose sevengill shark 11

Shortn mako shark 46

Shorail sngray 85

Skate, African brown 76

Skate, African sonose 69

Skate, bigthorn 78

Skate, biscuit 77

Skate, ghost 80

Skate, javelin 70

Skate, leopard 81

Skate, munchkin 79

Skate, Norwegian 71

Skate (legskate), roughnose 84

Skate, roughskin 74

Skate, slime 72

Skate, smoothback 82

Skate, spearnose 83

Skate, twineyed 75

Skate, white 83

Skate, yellow-spoed 73

Smooth sngray 85

Smoothhound shark 57

Soupn shark 56

Southern frill shark 10

Southern sleeper shark 33

Spoed gully shark 59

Thresher shark 42

Thresher shark, bigeye 43

Tope shark 56

Violet sngray 88

Warren’s sixgill sawshark 37

Whitespoed smoothhound 58

INDEX

Scienc names

Acroteriobatus blochii 66

Alopias superciliosus 43

Alopias vulpinus 42

Apristurus melanoasper 47

Apristurus microps 48

Apristurus saldanha 49

Bathyraja smithii 69

Bathytoshia brevicaudata 85

Bathytoshia lata 86

Callorhinchus capensis 92

Carcharhinus brachyurus 60

Carcharhinus leucas 61

Carcharhinus signatus 62

Carcharias taurus 40

Carcharodon carcharias 45

Centrophorus granulosus 18

Centrophorus squamosus 19

Centrophorus uyato 20

Centroscyllium fabricii 24

Centroscymnus coelolepis 30

Centroscymnus owstonii 31

Centroselachus crepidater 32

Cetorhinus maximus 44

Chimaera notafricana 93

Chlamydoselachus africana 10

Cruriraja hulleyi 84

Dasyas chrysonota 87

Deania calceus 21

Deania profundorum 22

Deania quadrispinosa 23

Dipturus doutrei 70

Dipturus nidarosiensis 71

Dipturus pullopunctatus 72

Echinorhinus brucus 14

Etmopterus bigelowi 25

Etmopterus compagnoi 26

Etmopterus granulosus 27

Etmopterus pusillus 28

Etmopterus sculptus 29

Galeorhinus galeus 56

Galeus polli 50

Gymnura natalensis 89

Haploblepharus pictus 51

Harrioa raleighana 97

Heptranchias perlo 11

Hexanchus griseus 12

Holohalaelurus regani 52

Hydrolagus anis 94

Hydrolagus africanus 95

Hydrolagus mirabilis 96

Isisus brasiliensis 36

Isurus oxyrinchus 46

Leucoraja wallacei 73

Malacoraja spinacidermis 74

Mustelus mustelus 57

Mustelus palumbes 58

Myliobas aquila 90

Narke capensis 67

Neoharrioa pinnata 98

Notorynchus cepedianus 13

Oxynotus centrina 35

Pliotrema warreni 37

Prionace glauca 63

Pseudocarcharias kamoharai 41

Pseudotriakis microdon 55

Pteroplatytrygon violacea 88

Raja ocellifera 75

Raja parva 76

Raja straeleni 77

Rajella barnardi 78

Rajella caudaspinosa 79

Rajella dissimilis 80

Rajella leoparda 81

Rajella ravidula 82

Rhinochimaera atlanca 99

Rostroraja alba 83

Scyliorhinus capensis 53

Scyliorhinus cervigoni 54

Somniosus antarccus 33

Sphyrna zygaena 64

Squalus acanthias 15

Squalus acupinnis 16

Squalus bassi 17

Squana aculeata 38

Squana oculata 39

Tetronarce cowleyi 68

Triakis megalopterus 59

Zameus squamulosus 34

105

SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS AND CHIMAERAS OF NAMIBIA

104 REFERENCES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are grateful to the following people who provided images of chondrichthyans or their

eggcases: Charlene da Silva, Brit Finucci, Helen O’Neill (CSIRO), Thilo Weddehage and Diana

Zaera-Perez. Thanks also to Rod Braby, Kolee Grobler, Meghan Jeans, Murray Lewis, Megan

O’Toole, Filippus Sheehama Tshimwandi and Ross Wanless.

Special thanks to David Ebert for his reviews of the illustraons for this guide, and his signicant

contribuon to the species list on which this guide has been based.

The producon of this guide was supported by the Shark Conservaon Fund, a project of

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

REFERENCES AND

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Bianchi G, Carpenter KE, Roux J-P, Molloy FJ, Boyer D, Boyer

HJ. 1999. Field guide to the living marine resources of

Namibia. FAO, Rome, Italy. 265 p.

Compagno LJV, Ebert DA. 2007. Southern African biodiversity

and distribuon. Environmental Biology of Fishes 80: 125-

145.

Compagno LJV, Ebert DA, Cowley PD. 1991. The distribuon of

oshore chondrichthyan shes o the west coast of southern

Africa. South African Journal of Marine Science 11: 43-139.

Compagno LJV, Ebert DA, Smale MJ. 1989. Guide to the sharks

and rays of southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. 160

Dulvy NK, Pacoureau N, Rigby CL, Pollom RA, Jabado RW, Ebert

DA, Finucci B, Pollock CM, Cheok J, Derrick DH, Herman

KB, Sherman CS, VanderWright WJ, Lawson JM, Walls RHL,

Carlson JK, Charvet P, Bineesh KK, Fernando D, Ralph GM,

Simpfendorfer CA. 2021. Overshing drives over one-third of

all sharks and rays toward a global exncon crisis. Current

Biology 31: 4773-4787.e8

Ebert DA. 2015. Deep-sea Carlaginous Fishes of the

Southeastern Atlanc Ocean. FAO Species Catalogue for

Fishery Purposes. No. 9. Rome. FAO. 251 p.

Ebert DA, Compagno LJV, Cowley PD. 2006. Reproducve

biology of catsharks (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae) o the

west coast of southern Africa. ICES Journal of Marine Science

63: 1053-1065.

Ebert DA, Compagno LJV, Cowley PD. 2008. Aspects of the

reproducve biology of skates (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes:

Rajoidei) from southern Africa. ICES Journal of Marine Science

65 (1): 81–102.

Ebert DA, Dando M. 2021. Sharks, rays and chimaeras of

Europe and the Mediterranean. Princeton University Press,

Princeton, New Jersey. 383 p.

Ebert DA, Dando M, Fowler S. 2021. Sharks of the World.

Second edion. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New

Jersey. 607 p.

Ebert D, van Hees KE. 2015. Beyond Jaws: rediscovering the

‘Lost Sharks’ of southern Africa. African Journal of Marine

Science 37(2): 141-156.

Ebert DA. 2015. Deep–sea carlaginous shes of the

Southeastern Atlanc Ocean. FAO Species Catalogue for

Fishery Purposes. No. 9. FAO, Rome. 251 p.

Iglésias SP. 2012. Chondrichthyans from the North-eastern

Atlanc and the Mediterranean (A natural classicaon based

on collecon specimens, with DNA barcodes and standardized

photographs), Volume I (plates), provisional version 06, 01

April 2012. 83 p.

Last P, Naylor G, Séret B, White W, Stehmann M, de Carvalho

M (eds). 2016. Rays of the World. CSIRO Publishing, Clayton

South, Australia. 790 p.

Leeney RH, Ebert DA, Grobler K. 2023. First record of Warren’s

sixgill sawshark Pliotrema warreni (Prisophoriformes:

Prisophoridae) and the West African catshark Scyliorhinus

cervigoni (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) in Namibia, and

notes on the habitat of the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas

(Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae). Journal of the Marine

Biological Associaon of the United Kingdom 103: e97.

106

The Namibia’s Rays and Sharks (NaRaS) project is the rst research and educaon project of its

kind in Namibia. The project aims to generate baseline data on sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras,

by documenng which species live in Namibian waters, the ocean habitats they use and the

threats they face. The project also aims to share informaon on the incredible diversity of sharks,

skates, rays and chimaeras living o our coastline with the Namibian public, and encourage more

people to take an interest in these animals.

Ruth H. Leeney is a marine biologist and writer. She is passionate about marine wildlife and

communicang conservaon messages creavely to diverse audiences. Originally from Ireland,

she has conducted research on marine life in numerous African countries since 2007. She is the

founder and director of the NaRaS project.

Alexis Aronson is a self-taught illustrator arst based in South Africa. She is a passionate observer

and lover of the natural world and all its creatures. She works in a combinaon of inks, colour

pencils, natural pigments and bleach on paper.

Results of a pilot study using acoustic telemetry to assess the movements of coastal elasmobranchs in Namibia’s only marine protected area.

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2024

Predation on the St Joseph Callorhinchus capensis by Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus in Namibia

Article

Apr 2024
AFR J MAR SCI

Chondrichthyans form an important part of marine food webs as top predators and mesopredators. However, little is known about chondrichthyans in Namibian waters and the roles they play in ecosystem function. During efforts to disentangle Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus from fishing gear or plastic debris, 11 incidents of seals impaled by the dorsal spines of St Josephs Callorhinchus capensis (order Chimaeriformes) were recorded. These observations overlapped with mass die-offs of the seals owing to food shortages, as indicated by large numbers of emaciated seals and widespread miscarriages of seal foetuses. This suggests that the St Joseph is not a desirable prey species for Cape fur seals, though this chimaera may provide a source of food, especially when preferred prey species are unavailable. This is the first published record of Cape fur seals feeding on chondrichthyans in Namibian waters. Documenting these types of food-web linkages between pinnipeds and chondrichthyans will allow for a better understanding of how impacts on their populations may more broadly affect Namibia’s marine ecosystems.

Overfishing drives over one-third of all sharks and rays toward a global extinction crisis

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2021
CURR BIOL

The scale and drivers of marine biodiversity loss are being revealed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment process. We present the first global reassessment of 1,199 species in Class Chondrichthyes—sharks, rays, and chimeras. The first global assessment (in 2014) concluded that one-quarter (24%) of species were threatened. Now, 391 (32.6%) species are threatened with extinction. When this percentage of threat is applied to Data Deficient species, more than one-third (37.5%) of chondrichthyans are estimated to be threatened, with much of this change resulting from new information. Three species are Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct), representing possibly the first global marine fish extinctions due to overfishing. Consequently, the chondrichthyan extinction rate is potentially 25 extinctions per million species years, comparable to that of terrestrial vertebrates. Overfishing is the universal threat affecting all 391 threatened species and is the sole threat for 67.3% of species and interacts with three other threats for the remaining third: loss and degradation of habitat (31.2% of threatened species), climate change (10.2%), and pollution (6.9%). Species are disproportionately threatened in tropical and subtropical coastal waters. Science-based limits on fishing, effective marine protected areas, and approaches that reduce or eliminate fishing mortality are urgently needed to minimize mortality of threatened species and ensure sustainable catch and trade of others. Immediate action is essential to prevent further extinctions and protect the potential for food security and ecosystem functions provided by this iconic lineage of predators.

Beyond jaws: rediscovering the “Lost Sharks” of southern Africa

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2015

Southern Africa has one of the richest and most diverse chondrichthyan faunas in the world, comprising all 13 orders, 49 families, 111 genera and approximately 204 species. This represents nearly 20% of all known chondrichthyans, and includes 117 shark, 79 batoid and 8 chimaera species. A greater diversity of chondrichthyan species is seen on the east coast (n = 175) compared to the west coast (n = 96), especially among the families Carcharhinidae and Dasyatidae. The cumulative number of species added to the fauna has increased over the past 112 years from 28 to 204. A golden age of southern African chondrichthyan research occurred between 1967 and 1976 when 46 species were added to the fauna, 16 of which were newly described. A total of 5 families, 23 genera and 130 species have been described from southern Africa. Three families, 17 genera and 75 species are still considered valid. In all, 59 researchers have authored new species descriptions of southern African chondrichthyans, with 95 of 130 species being described by just 14 authors. The most new species described were by JLB Smith with 18, followed by J Müller and FGJ Henle, who collaborated to author 12 new species descriptions. A review of the conservation status of 189 chondrichthyan species indicates that 29% have been assessed as Vulnerable or higher (more threatened), a much higher percentage than the 17.4% of chondrichthyans globally. Of particular concern is that 13% are species endemic to southern Africa. Despite increased chondrichthyan awareness and popularity, most research and conservation efforts centre on a few charismatic species, while the future of little-known species remains ‘lost’ from the public and scientific consciousness.

Deep-sea cartilaginous fishes of the southeastern Atlantic Ocean

Book

Full-text available

Jun 2015

David A. Ebert

This volume is a comprehensive, fully illustrated Catalogue of the Sharks, Batoid Fishes, and Chimaeras of the Southeastern Atlantic Ocean, encompassing FAO Fishing Area 47. The present volume includes 10 orders, 23 families, 45 genera, and 78 species of cartilaginous fishes occurring in the Southeastern Atlantic. It provides accounts for all orders, families, and genera and all keys to taxa are fully illustrated. A species representative account of each genus is also provided and includes: valid modern names and original citation of the species; synonyms; the English, French, and Spanish FAO names for the species: a lateral view and often other useful illustrations; field marks; diagnostic features; distribution, including a GIS map; habitat; biology; size; interest to fisheries and human impact; local names when available; a remarks sections; and literature. The volume is fully indexed and also includes sections on terminology and measurements, an extensive glossary, and a dedicated bibliography.

Chondrichthyans from the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean (A natural classification based on collection specimens, with DNA barcodes and standardized photographs), Volume I (plates), Provisional version 06

Book

Full-text available

Apr 2012

Samuel P. Iglésias

The goal of this project is to realise a book on the diversity of Chondrichthyans of the European Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and bordering areas (the ICCANAM area, Figure 1). In the end it will include about 150 species. Annual updates are scheduled to give an account of the project progress. Thes version will be distributed in Pdf file at the next address: http://www.mnhn.fr/iccanam, until the publication of a final version as a book. The selected name for the project and domain (ICCANAM) is the acronym for "Identification and Classification of Chondrichthyans and Actinopterygians from the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean". The greatest interests of this project are: - to present standardised photos of all affected species. - to present specimens, all deposited in institutional collections. - to present specimens, all sampled for molecular biology, to realise the DNA Barcoding of specimens routinely and to provide these samples to others researchers. - to use the results on cladistic analyses (molecular and morphological) to organise the classification within the book. This provisional version and those that will follow are mostly for researchers working on systematics of Chondrichthyans. The manuscript presents specimens recently collected and accessible in the institutional collection. Sub-samples of muscular tissue can be provided to researchers at justified request. It is requested to researchers that received samples to cite the collection numbers of the specimens in their papers and to send me a reprint of the papers citing the material. The best is also to cite these collection numbers during the capture data of molecular sequences in GenBank. If large sampling or rare samples are requested, a scientific collaboration could be considered. Your comments, suggestions and corrections are welcome for the improvment of the next versions.

Aspects on the reproductive biology of skates (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from southern African waters

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2008
ICES J MAR SCI

Ebert, D. A., Compagno, L. J. V., and Cowley, P. D. 2008. Aspects of the reproductive biology of skates (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from southern Africa. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 81–102. New information is presented on the reproductive biology of 22 southern African skate species. Sex ratios for most species were relatively even. Sexual dimorphic differences in disc shape were evident in all species, but the total length (LT) to disc width (D) relationship was significantly different in only three species, and the LT to weight (W) relationship significant in just five species. Sexual dimorphism relative to maximum total length (LTmax) was absent in all but the two largest species. Males and females of the same species grow to a similar LTmax except those whose LTmax is >1.5 m LT. Size at first and 50% (LT50) sexual maturity was approximately the same for both sexes in all but the two largest species. First maturity occurred at >60% of LTmax for all species for which sufficient data were available, and most (n = 18) matured at >75% LTmax. The large size at maturity relative to LTmax suggests that growth slows or is partially suspended following sexual maturity. The egg cases of 15 species are described, and a key to their identification is presented. Egg cases in utero were observed throughout the year suggesting that most species reproduce year-round.

The distribution of offshore chondrichthyan fishes off the west coast of southern Africa

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1991

Guide To The Sharks and Rays of Southern Africa

Book

Full-text available

Sep 1989

Reproductive biology of catsharks (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae) off the west coast of southern Africa

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2006
ICES J MAR SCI

This study presents information on the reproductive biology of five southern African catshark species: Apristurus microps, A. saldanha, Apristurus sp., Galeus polli, and Scyliorhinus capensis. They were caught between Walvis Bay, Namibia, and Cape Agulhas, South Africa, from 50 to 1016 m deep. The reproductive mode of four species was oviparous, whereas G. polli exhibited aplacental viviparity. Males of all species attained first maturity slightly larger than females, and males of the four oviparous species attained a larger L-Tmax than females. The length at 50% maturity was similar for males and females in most species. All species matured at an L-T > 75% of L-Tmax except for male Apristurus spp. and female G. polli, which matured at 71.2% and 68.8%, respectively, of L-Tmax. The egg case of A. microps has minute tendrils, whereas those of S. capensis were quite long, suggesting different egg-laying habitats. Fecundity in G. polli ranged from 5 to 13, and litter size increased in relation to increased female length. Embryos of G. polli were large, each measuring approximately 30% of female L-T. Neonates of G. polli were common and appear to have a demersal lifestyle; those of the four oviparous species were entirely absent from the study. Gravid A. microps were found in summer and winter, indicating a protracted breeding cycle, but reproductively active S. capensis were caught only in winter. Prior to this study, reproductive information on these catsharks was largely lacking. (c) 2006 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First record of Warren's sixgill sawshark Pliotrema warreni (Pristiophoriformes: Pristiophoridae) and the West African catshark Scyliorhinus cervigoni (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) in Namibia, and notes on the habitat of the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae)

Article

Dec 2023
J MAR BIOL ASSOC UK

Warren's sixgill sawshark, Pliotrema warreni, is confirmed for the first time in Namibian waters, from two specimens. One specimen was collected by fisheries observers on a vessel fishing in southern Namibian waters in March 2010. The other was found dead on a beach in central coastal Namibia, in August 2014. The West African catshark, Scyliorhinus cervigoni, is documented for the first time in northern Namibia, from a specimen recorded during surveys of chondrichthyan bycatch on a commercial bottom trawler. This extends the species' range southwards from Angola. Records of bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas are also documented, providing a better understanding of their distribution in Namibia. Several anglers have reported catching bull sharks in the Kunene River (from the riverbank on the Namibian side) and just south of the river mouth, along the Namibian coast.

Field Guide to the Living Marine Resources of Namibia

Article

Jan 1999

Sharks, Skates, Rays and Chimaeras of Namibia. An identification guide.

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