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 holcorhynchus Norman, 1922 Slender Guitarfish Rhinobatus holcorhynchus Norman, 1922: 318 . Holotype (unique): BMNH 1922.1 .13.18. Type locality: Zululand , KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa . Local synonymy : Rhinobatus holcorhynchus : von Bonde & Swart, 1923: 3 ; Barnard, 1925: 61 , fig. 9c, pl. 3; Norman, 1926: 957 , fig. 10; Barnard, 1927: 1014 ; Fowler, 1941: 307 ; Barnard, 1959: 22 ; Wallace, 1967b: 18 , figs. 9, 11. Rhinobatus natalensis : Fowler, 1925b: 195 , fig. 1. Rhinobatus schlegeli : Smith, 1949a: 64 , fig. 64; Smith, 1961a: 64 , fig. 64; Smith, 1965: 64 , fig. 64. Rhinobatos holcorhynchus : Compagno, 1986: 130 , fig. 27.4; Compagno et al ., 1989: 78 , pl.; Compagno, 1999: 116 ; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 78 ; NPOA, 2013: 57 ; da Silva et al ., 2015: 247 ; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 146 ; Last et al ., 2016b: 470 ; Séret et al ., 2016a: 98 , fig. 10.20 (in part, illustration is of R. austini ); Weigmann, 2016: 922 . South Africa voucher material : Holotype : BMNH 1922.1 .13.18, ANSP 53041 ( holotype of Rhinobatos natalensis ). Non-types: SAIAB 11144 , SAIAB 11145 , SAIAB 11146 , SAM 033512 , SAM 033999 , SAM 034815 . South African distribution : East coast from Port Shepstone to KZN border with Mozambique . Remarks : The geographic range of R. holcorhynchus in East Africa, Madagascar , and the Mascarene Archipelago should be revisited given the misidentification with other regional Rhinobatos species, including R. austini and R. nudidorsalis . The scientific name Rhinobatos schlegelii appears in some earlier South African literature accounts since Smith (1949a , 1961 a , 1965) considered R. holcorhychus to be a junior synonym of it. However, most recent accounts do not recognize it as occurring in southern Africa, and consider its distribution to be restricted to the western North Pacific ( Last et al ., 2016b: 470 ; Séret et al ., 2016a: 98 , fig. 10.20). Conservation status : DD (2019).