Kyne & Simpfendorfer.. - Shark Specialist Group

ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF EXTANT DEEPWATER CHONDRICHTHYAN
FISHES
Introduction
Systematics and classification
The following checklist contains all known described and undescribed deepwater species of
the Class Chondrichthyes. The definition of a deepwater chondrichthyan is outlined in the
general introduction of this report. The checklist is based largely upon Compagno and Duffy
(2003) A checklist of deep water chondrichthyans of the world and Compagno (2005) Global
checklist of living chondrichthyan fishes. Additionally, the present list contains recent species
discoveries and descriptions, synonymy, and taxonomic changes and updates since
preparation of the above-mentioned checklists, that is, up until January 2007. Primary
literature (in the form of species descriptions and reviews), grey literature (in the form of in
internal reports and conference abstracts books) and consultation with researchers possessing
expert knowledge of taxonomic groups were used to update the checklist.
Phylogeny and systematic arrangement of the checklist follows Compagno (2001, 2005) with
the Holocephali here presented first, followed by the squalomorph sharks (incorporating the
batoids) and finally the galeomorph sharks.
Two of the notable discrepancies arising from following Compagno (2001, 2005) between the
present checklist and other classifications concern the batoids. Firstly, several authors classify
the batoids into numerous orders, but these are here considered suborders within the order
Rajiformes. Suborders are not specified in the present checklist but these can be obtained
from Compagno (2005). Secondly, the systematics and classification of the skates (suborder
Rajoidei) is among the most complex and unresolved and the softnose and hardnose skates
are often classified into two subfamilies within the single family Rajidae: the
Arhynchobatinae (softnose skates) and the Rajinae (hardnose skates). However, these are here
referred to as the families Arhynchobatidae (softnose skates) and Rajidae (hardnose skates).
Differences in the systematics and classification in the present list to that in Compagno (2005)
concern recent systematic updates and these are briefly summarised as follows. 1). The
classification of the Australasian skate fauna follows Last and Yearsley (2002) (with the
exception of familial classification) along with recent descriptions (i.e. New Zealand
Brochiraja; Last and McEachran 2006); 2). Whereas Compagno (2005) placed several
Southwest Atlantic and Southeast Pacific Bathyraja into Rhinoraja they are here retained in
Bathyraja due to a lack of explanation for their placement in Rhinoraja; and, 3). The
systematics of the Indo-West Pacific Centrophorus are currently under review and this is
reflected in the checklist (W. White pers. comm.).
The scientific name of each species is followed by the authority and year of publication for
the description of that species. Parentheses around the authority and year indicate that the
species name has changed since the original description. For example, the smallspine
spookfish Harriotta haeckeli was described by Karrer in 1972 as the binomial name Harriotta
haeckeli and is thus referred to as Harriotta haeckeli Karrer, 1972. The sicklefin chimaera
Neoharriotta pinnata however, was originally described by Schnakenbeck in 1931 as
Harriotta pinnata before being reassigned to the new genus Neoharriotta; it is thus referred to
as Neoharriotta pinnata (Schnakenbeck, 1931). Where a species has not yet been formally
described, that is, it has not been given a specific name and its description has not been
published, it is often assigned a temporary letter or numerical code followed by a name of the
researcher or publication which identified the species as distinct and new, and whom may be
working on the relationship of this species to its congeners and ultimately its description. An
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