Southern African frilled shark
| Southern African frilled shark | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Hexanchiformes |
| Family: | Chlamydoselachidae |
| Genus: | Chlamydoselachus |
| Species: | C. africana
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| Binomial name | |
| Chlamydoselachus africana | |
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| Range of the southern African frilled shark | |
The southern African frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus africana) is a
Taxonomy
The frilled shark (C. anguineus) was long thought to be the only extant member of its genus and family. The existence of a second Chlamydoselachus species off southern Africa was first suspected from a specimen caught off Lüderitz, Namibia in February 1988, by the South African research ship FRS Africana (after which this species would eventually be named). The specimen was an adult male smaller than other known mature C. anguineus, and subsequent investigations revealed other consistent differences between frilled sharks in this region and C. anguineus. The new species was termed Chlamydoselachus "sp. A", before being formally described in 2009 by David Ebert and Leonard Compagno, in a paper for the scientific journal Zootaxa. The holotype was a 117 cm (46 in) long immature female caught at a depth of 409 m (1,342 ft) off the Cunene River, Namibia, by the research vessel Benguela.[2]
Distribution and habitat
The southern African frilled shark is found from off the coast of southern
Description
The southern African frilled shark looks very similar to the frilled shark, with a long
Compared to the frilled shark, the southern African frilled shark has several proportional differences, including a longer head and gill slits, more widely spaced eyes and
While it is similar to the frilled shark externally, there are several internal differences between the two species.[3] The Southern African frilled shark has fewer vertebral centra (147 compared to 160-171) and the transition between monospondylous precaudal (MP) centra and diplospondylous precaudal (DP) centra happens earlier (at the 18th centra (at the end of the pectoral fins) compared to the 72-75th centra (around the pelvic fins). They also have fewer spiral intestinal valve (26-28 compared to 35-49). Although the sample size is limited, the Southern African frilled shark also seems to have a different pectoral fin skeletal structure (such as having more radial segments) and has more radials in the anal fin.[2][3]
Biology and ecology
Diet
From
Reproduction
Although adult females are unknown, the southern African frilled shark is presumed to be
Human interactions
The conservation status of the southern African frilled shark has been evaluated as
References
- ^ . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Ebert, D.A. & L.J.V. Compagno (2009). "Chlamydoselachus africana, a new species of frilled shark from southern Africa (Chondrichthyes, Hexanchiformes, Chlamydoselachidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2173: 1–18.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-00-713610-0.