Eastern Shyshark
Haploblepharus kistnasamyi Human & Compagno, 2006: 44, fig. 2. Holotype: SAIAB 39835. Type locality: Landers Reef off Park Rynie, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 30°19'S, 30°47'E.
Local synonymy: Haploblepharus edwardsii: Smith, 1949a: 54 (in part); Smith, 1950: 879 (in part); Bass et al., 1975a: 17, fig. 11a (in part); Compagno, 1984b: 332 (in part); Bass, 1986: 91, (fig. 11.8 caption as H. edwardsii is actually H. kistnasamyi); Compagno, 1988a: 151 (in part); Compagno et al., 1989: 50, pl. (in part). Haploblepharus sp. nov.: Compagno, 1999: 98, 119. Haploblepharus sp. A: Compagno, et al., 2005: 236; Human et al., 2006: 389. Haploblepharus kistnasamyi: Human & Compagno, 2006: 44, fig. 2; Human, 2007: 29, figs. 10–12; Ebert et al., 2013a: 355, fig., pl. 48; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 147; Weigmann, 2016: 876.
South Africa voucher material: Paratypes: SAIAB 6075 [formerly ORI 2424], SAIAB 6077 [formerly ORI 2574]. Non-types: SAIAB 14005, SAIAB 26156, SAIAB 26934, SAIAB 26937, SAIAB 26939, SAIAB 26964, SAIAB 26965, SAIAB 48494, SAIAB 48496, SAM 29884, SAM 32527, SAM 32553, SAM 32554. See Human (2006) for details.
South African distribution: Endemic. Mossel Bay (WC) to Zinkwazi north of Durban (KZN).
Remarks: The least known and perhaps rarest species of Haploblepharus, it is known from very few specimens and is rarely observed despite it being a coastal nearshore species usually found at less than 30 m depth. A further detailed morphological and genetic study is required to fully delineate and define this species from the other members of the genus.
Conservation status: VU (2019).