An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of Papua New Guinea Author White, William T. Author Ko’Ou, Alfred text Zootaxa 2018 2018-04-19 4411 1 1 82 journal article 30231 10.11646/zootaxa.4411.1 abf8082d-c179-4cb2-acc4-3cdef16c4341 1175-5326 1221878 255EE06E-3171-41F3-BB3D-E7D29537A292 Pastinachus ater (Macleay, 1883a) Broad Cowtail Ray Taeniura atra Macleay, 1883a: 598 . Holotype : AMS I.9762. Type locality: Port Moresby district, Papua New Guinea . Local synonymy: Trygon sephen— Peters, 1877: 853 (New Britain); Ogilby, 1888: 20 (southeastern New Guinea); Günther, 1910 : 495 (New Britain); Duncker & Mohr, 1934: 84 (Seeadler Harbour, Manus). Taeniura atra Macleay, 1883a: 598 (Port Moresby district). Dasyatis sephen— Fowler, 1934 : 386 (Port Moresby); Munro, 1958: 114 (New Guinea); Munro, 1967: 15, pl. 2, fig. 19 (New Guinea); Haines, 1979a : 6 (Purari Delta); Haines, 1979b : 94 (Purari Delta). Pastinachus dephen - Filewood, 1973 : 12 (PNG, misspelling of sephen ). Pastinachus atrus— Last & Stevens, 2009: 456 (New Guinea). Pastinachus sephen — Allen, 1998 : 67 (Milne Bay); Allen et al. , 2003 : 112 (Milne Bay). Pastinachus ater— White et al. , 2018 : 34, figs (PNG). PNG voucher material: (4 spec.) AMS I.9762 ( holotype ), female 404 mm DW, Port Moresby , 9°29’ S , 147°05’ E , 1883 ; KFRS E.043 (dried jaws), adult male, Rabaul , East New Britain , 1964 ; KFRS E.044 (dried jaws), adult male, Kairuku , Yule Island , Central Province , 18 Jan. 1965 ; USNM 218543 , juvenile male 410 mm DW, Parama Island , Western Province , 15 Dec. 1975 . Remarks: First recorded from PNG by Peters (1877) as Trygon sephen from New Britain . Macleay (1883a) described as a new species, Taeniura atra , based on a specimen collected from off Port Moresby ; subsequently included in the synonymy of Pastinachus sephen but recently resurrected as a valid species. Caught occasionally by prawn trawlers and probably also by coastal fishers.