Rhynchobatus djiddensis (Forsskål, 1775)

Giant Sandshark

Raja djiddensis Forsskål, 1775: 18. No known types. Type locality: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Luhaiya, Yemen, Red Sea.

Local synonymy: Rhynchobatus djeddensis: Barnard, 1925: 58, pl. 3; Fowler, 1941: 300; Barnard, 1959: 22, fig. 9, pl. 3; Smith, 1949a: 63, fig. 60; Smith, 1961a: 63, fig. 60; Smith, 1965: 63, fig. 60; Wallace, 1967b: 11, figs. 5–6. Rhynchobatus djiddensis: Norman, 1926: 944; Compagno, 1986: 131, fig. 27.7, pl. 4; Compagno et al., 1989: 76, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 115; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 79; Mann, 2013: 149; NPOA, 2013: 58; da Silva et al., 2015: 247; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 146; Last et al., 2016b: 472; Last et al., 2016d: 70, fig. 9.4; Weigmann, 2016: 918.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 21209, SAIAB 48823, SAIAB 53229, SAIAB 88254.

South African distribution: Knysna (EC) to KZN border with Mozambique.

Remarks: Early reports of this species commented on it being a regular visitor to KZN during the summer months and it being one of the gamest fishes along the coast (Barnard, 1925). This appears to be the only confirmed Rhynchobatus species in South African waters and it appears to mostly be replaced by R. australiae in southern Mozambique. Although there are no confirmed records of R. australiae in South African waters it would not be unexpected as it is common in southern Mozambique.

Conservation status: CR (2019).