Paddlenose Chimaera
Rhinochimaera africana Compagno, Stehmann, & Ebert, 1990: 206, figs. 2–5. Holotype: SAIAB [formerly RUSI] 27744. Type locality: West of Doring Bay, Western Cape, South Africa, 31°59.8'S, 15°56.2'E.
Local synonymy: Rhinochimaera atlantica: Penrith, 1969: 66 (in part); Shcherbachev, 1978: 8 (in part, South Africa: off Atlantic side of Agulhas Bank (WC) and off Kosi Bay (KZN); Compagno, 1986: 146 (in part, KZN). Rhinochimaera pacifica: Shcherbachev et al., 1982: 28 (in part, records from Shcherbachev 1978 from Agulhas Bank and Kosi Bay). Rhinochimaera sp.: Compagno et al., 1989: 122, pl. Rhinochimaera africana: Compagno et al., 1990: 206, figs. 2–5; Compagno et al., 1991: 115; Compagno, 1999: 120; Didier et al., 2012: 100; Ebert, 2014: 104, fig. 167; Ebert, 2015: 204, fig. 234; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 148; Weigmann, 2016: 1005.
South Africa voucher material: Holotype: SAIAB 27744. Paratypes, (4): SAM 23123, ZMMU P 14392, ZIL 48699, ISH 1 / 90 (ex ZMMU P 14393).
South African distribution: Scattered records off Doring Bay (WC) to Kosi Bay (KZN), but likely to occur off the entire South African coast.
Remarks: The species had been misidentified with R. atlantica until Compagno et al. (1990) recognized it as distinct. Records of R. atlantica from off Kosi Bay are actually R. africana.
Conservation status: DD (2016).