An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa Author Ebert, David A. Author Wintner, Sabine P. 0000-0001-7350-5999 Author Kyne, Peter M. 0000-0003-4494-2625 debert@mlml.calstate.edu text Zootaxa 2021 2021-03-17 4947 1 1 127 journal article 7365 10.11646/zootaxa.4947.1.1 74dc998a-dc7a-4b02-b43c-a2064c9c6dc2 1175-5326 4614567 7F3B4794-65CF-4691-A330-78A423F2606F 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).