Zameus squamulosus (Günther, 1877)

Velvet Dogfish

Centrophorus squamulosus G̹nther, 1877: 433. Holotype: BMNH 1880.5.1.1, Challenger station 232, off Inosima, Japan, 35°11'N, 139°28'E.

Local synonymy: Scymnodon ? obscurus: Bass et al., 1976: 35. Scymnodon obscurus: Compagno, 1984a: 98, fig. Centroscymnus obscurus: Bass et al., 1986: 53, fig. 5.7. Zameus squamulosus: Taniuchi & Garrick, 1986: 129, fig. 3; Compagno et al., 2005: 121, fig., pl. 11; Ebert, 2013: 101, fig. 139; Ebert et al., 2013a: 159, fig., pl. 14; Ebert & Mostada, 2013: 43, fig.; Ebert & Dando, 2014: 91, fig.; Ebert, 2015: 97, fig. 114; Ebert & Mostada, 2015: 37, fig.; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 144; White et al., 2015: 213; Compagno, 2016: 1199, fig.; Weigmann, 2016: 901. Scymnodon squamulosus: Compagno et al., 1989: 32, pl.; Compagno et al., 1991: 66; Ebert et al., 1992: 607; Compagno, 1999: 115.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6093, SAIAB 99105, SAIAB 99106.

South Africa distribution: Entire coast from the Orange River (NC) to northern KZN.

Remarks: The first records of this species were found in the stomach of a Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) harpooned off Durban in 1971, which had four partially digested Z. squamulosus (Bass et al., 1976).

Conservation status: LC (2020).