Taxonomy and morphology of Northeastern Atlantic Scyliorhinus Blainville, 1816 (Chondrichthyes; Carcharhiniformes; Scyliorhinidae)

• Grant number: 16/22214-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 09, 2017
• End date: July 23, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Mônica de Toledo-Piza Ragazzo
• Grantee: Karla Diamantina de Araújo Soares
• Supervisor: Ralf Britz
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Natural History Museum, London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/20316-5 - Taxonomy and morphology of genus Scyliorhinus Blainville, 1816 (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae), BP.DR

Abstract

The family Scyliorhinidae is the most diverse family of sharks, comprising 17 genera and 146 species. Belonging to this family, the genus Scyliorhinus presents 16 valid species and is considered a poorly defined group of catsharks, with a varied color pattern that is extensively used in species identification. A long history of species inclusions and rearrangements is documented in the literature, contributing to a lack of diagnostic characters for this genus and obscuring its relationships within the family. The same uncertainties are encountered in species identification, as sexual dimorphism, ontogenetic, individual and geographic variations influence their color patterns, and other characters are less reliable or present much overlapping. Scyliorhinus canicula is distinguished from its congeners by the presence of expanded anterior nasal flaps very close to each other and shallow nasoral grooves. Its nasoral region is unique in the genus and because of this its identity and relationships with other species are doubtful and need to be revised. Besides, its distribution is very wide and controversial and might be confused with S. stellaris and S. cervigoni. The aim of this BEPE project is to undertake a taxonomic review of Northeastern Atlantic Scyliorhinus species, examining external morphology, dermal denticles, teeth, musculature, neurocranium, visceral arches, pectoral girdle, claspers, and morphological and meristic data, endeavoring to recognize the valid species, better define them, and describe their morphological variation. This project represents a part of the ongoing global revision of the genus Scyliorhinus.

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SOARES, KARLA D. A.; DE CARVALHO, MARCELO R.. The catshark genus Scyliorhinus (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae): taxonomy, morphology and distribution. Zootaxa, v. 4601, n. 1, p. 1-147, MAY 7 2019. (15/21314-9, 16/22214-0, 14/20316-5)

SOARES, KARLA D. A.; ZANINI, FLAVIA. Redescription and anatomical investigation of Schroederichthys maculatus Springer, 1966 and S. saurisqualus Soto, 2001 with comments on their systematics (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Atelomycteridae). ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEIGER, v. 302, p. 15-pg., 2023-01-03. (16/22214-0, 15/21314-9, 14/20316-5)

SOARES, KARLA D. A.; MATHUBARA, KLEBER. Combined phylogeny and new classification of catsharks (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Carcharhiniformes). ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, v. 195, n. 3, p. 54-pg., 2022-03-03. (16/22214-0, 15/21314-9, 14/20316-5)

SOARES, KARLA D. A.. Comparative anatomy of the clasper of catsharks and its phylogenetic implications (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae). Journal of Morphology, v. 281, n. 6, p. 591-607, JUN 2020. (16/22214-0, 15/21314-9, 14/20316-5)

SOARES, KARLA D. A.; DE CARVALHO, MARCELO R.. Phylogenetic relationship of catshark species of the genus Scyliorhinus (Chondrichthyes, Carcharhiniformes, Scyliorhinidae) based on comparative morphology. ZOOSYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION, v. 96, n. 2, p. 345-395, JUN 19 2020. (15/21314-9, 16/22214-0, 14/20316-5)