Rhinobatos austini : Ebert & Gon 2017

Rhinobatos austini Ebert & Gon, 2017

Austin’s Guitarfish

Rhinobatos austini Ebert & Gon, 2017: 205, figs. 1–6. Holotype: SAIAB 75223. Type locality: Near Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 30°50'S, 30°29'E.

Local synonymy: Rhinobatus annulatus (Natal form): Wallace, 1967b: 27, fig. 15 (in part); Compagno et al., 1989: 78, pl. (in part); Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 78. Rhinobatos holcorhynchus: Séret et al., 2016a: 98, fig. 10.20 (in part, illustration is of R. austini). Rhinobatos austini: Ebert & Gon, 2017: 205, Figs. 1 –6.

South Africa voucher material: Holotype: SAIAB 75223; paratypes: SAIAB 186420, SAIAB 193574. Non-type: SAIAB 11125.

South African distribution: Port Shepstone north to KZN border with Mozambique.

Remarks: Accounts by Wallace (1967b, see fig. 15) and Compagno et al. (1989, see illustration on p. 79) described a Rhinobatos annulatus “Natal ” form that was distinguished by large brown spots from the “Cape” form. However, the “Natal” form is actually Rhinobatos austini, while the “Cape” form, which is now assigned to the genus Acroteriobatus, has numerous small eyespots on its dorsal surface. Furthermore, the recently described R. austini was also misidentified with R. holcorhynchus due to both species having a black teardrop-shaped blotch on the ventral surface of its snout. Recent re-examination of specimens from Mozambique and Madagascar has expanded the known range of R. austini. This species appears to inhabit a mostly coastal habitat from inshore to 107 m, but mostly less than 75 m depth, while R. holcorhynchus appears to occur in deeper water at depths from 75 m to at least 350 m (Séret et al., 2016a; Ebert & Gon, 2017). The illustration in the species account of R. holcorhynchus in Séret et al. (2016a, see fig. 10.20) is actually R. austini.

Conservation status: DD (2019).