First record of Centrophorus harrissoni from New Zealand, with observations on squamation in centrophoridae (squaliformes)

Abstract

Three specimens of Centrophorus from the southern Norfolk Ridge, three Kings Ridge, and Kermadec Ridge are provisionally identified as C. harrissoni, extending the species’ known range east to 178°52.1'W. Although apparently rare, C. harrissoni is widely distributed in southern Australian waters and the southwest Pacific between 17°S and 43°S, occurring on continental and insular slopes and oceanic ridges from 450 to 1048 m depth. Differences in dental morphology between juvenile male and female type specimens, a juvenile male from southern Norfolk Ridge and an adult male from the Kermadec Ridge were tentatively attributed to sexual dimorphism. However, additional specimens and research are required to confirm the identity of nominal C. harrissoni from Norfolk Ridge and northern New Zealand. Eight Centrophorus spp., including C. harrissoni, and three Deania spp. were found to differ from C. squamosus in having an area of transverse dermal folds on the ventral surface of the head between the gills. in C. harrissoni and Deania spp. these are naked except for a row of denticles along the top of each fold. in C. harrissoni these denticles are minute and thorn-like, whereas in Deania spp. they have tridentate crowns on short, straight pedicles. © 2007, Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.