Seigel et al. (1977)はS. sarmentiとS. aliiを本種のシノニムとし,本属は1種のみを含むとした。S. sarmentiをシノニムとすることには同意できるが,S. aliiは眼窩上縁が逆V字型であること,上顎の隅角部に明瞭な肉質突起があること,眼が小さく,眼径は眼前長の約1/2で,第1鰓孔から第3鰓孔までの長さに等しいことにより区別できると考える。和名のツラナガコビトザメ(Abe, 1962)はS. aliiに,オオメコビトザメ(Abe and Minoshima, 1971)はS. laticaudusにそれぞれ対応する。 (上野・佐々木)
Distinctive characters:
A short spine in first dorsal; without spine in second dorsal. Base length of second dorsal 2.7 times of first dorsal base. Eye large, 2/3 of preocular length, and equal to distance from 1st to 5th gill-opening. Upper margin of orbit nearly straight. No fleshy protrusion at angle of upper jaw. Upper jaw teeth thorn-like, curved slightly inward; lower jaw teeth knife-like, directed obliquely outward. Deep groove present below claspers, originated at posterior end of pelvic fin base along ventral median line.
Distribution:
Atlantic and western Pacific.
Remarks:
Seigel et al. (1977) stated the genus is monotypic, synonymizing S. sarmenti and S. alii. It is agreeable to place S. sarmenti in the synonymy, but S. alii seems distinct in having chevron shaped upper margin of orbit, fleshy protrusion at angle of upper jaw, smaller eye equal to half of preocular length, and distance from 1st to 3rd gill-opening. (Uyeno and Sasaki)