Dipturus nidarosiensis

Dipturus nidarosiensis (Storm, 1881)

Norwegian Skate

Raja nidarosiensis Storm, (ex Collett) 1881: 80. Syntypes: ZMUO J6339 (1 stuffed in poor condition), ZMUO (2, lost). Type locality: Munkholmen, Trondheim Fjord, Norway.

Local synonymy: Raja (Dipturus) springeri: Compagno et al., 1989: 92, pl. (in part); Compagno et al., 1991: 96 (in part). Dipturus springeri: Compagno, 1999: 116 (in part); Compagno & Ebert, 2007: 139, fig. 6e (in part); Ebert et al., 2008: 88 (in part); NPOA, 2013: 56 (in part); da Silva et al., 2015: 247 (in part); Ebert, 2015: 176, fig. 195 (in part?); Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 147 (in part). Dipturus nidarosiensis: Ebert & Compagno, 2007: 119; Last et al., 2016f: 21; Last et al., 2016g: 266, fig. 19.57.

South Africa voucher material: Uncertain, all previous large Dipturus species off the west and south coasts of South Africa have been referred to as D. springeri. The specimens listed here were all from the west and south coasts of South Africa and may be D. nidarosiensis pending re-examination: SAIAB 26001, SAIAB 26231, SAIAB 26466, SAIAB 26467, SAIAB 26468, SAIAB 26636, SAIAB 26637, SAIAB 26912, SAIAB 26913, SAIAB 26914, SAIAB 40953.

South African distribution: West coast and possibly south coast (WC), but eastern extent of range uncertain due to confusion with D. springeri.

Remarks: This species was thought to be restricted to the northeast Atlantic, but Last et al. (2016a), based on molecular data, extended its range to South Africa where it has been misidentified with D. springeri, which now may only occur off the east coast of South Africa. A re-examination of South African D. springeri specimens is required to better define the geographic distribution of these two large Dipturus species.

Conservation status: NT (2015).