A revised classification of the family Dasyatidae (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes) based on new morphological and molecular insights
Author
Last, Peter R.
Author
Naylor, Gavin J. P.
Author
Manjaji-Matsumoto, B. Mabel
text
Zootaxa
2016
4139
3
345
368
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4139.3.2
51358935-98b0-4d89-a47f-e4341171e5b9
1175-5326
262765
DCF4220B-4A73-407C-837C-54DEAE29F435
Genus
Neotrygon
Castelnau, 1873
Neotrygon
Castelnau, 1873:122
.
Type
species
Raya trigonoides
Castelnau, 1873
; by monotypy.
Definition
. Small dasyatids (adults to
27–47 cm
DW) characterised by the following: moderately depressed to robust, rhombic disc with pectoral-fin apex typically narrowly angular; snout obtuse and short (1.2–2.3 times combined orbit and spiracle length); eye large and protruding (often greatly); nasal curtain narrow, typically subrectangular; mouth narrow with 2 large median oral papillae; tail flexible and short (length 1.1–1.5 times DW), its base medium-broad and depressed to flattened oval; pelvic fins long and pointed, protruding slightly to wellbeyond disc; dorsal fold well developed; ventral fold low with a long base; caudal sting positioned moderately well back on tail (distance from pectoral-fin insertion to caudal-sting base 2.1–2.8 times interspiracular width); skin smooth and denticle band absent; row of small median thorns in most adults, no other thorns on disc; tail smooth; typically with strong dorsal colour pattern, usually with dark mask-like marking around eyes and blue or black spots on disc; posterior tail with black and white bands; ventral surface white, disc margin typically darker; marine, Indo–
West
Pacific.
Species
.
N. annotata
(
Last, 1987
)
,
N. australiae
Last, White & Séret, 2016
,
N. caeruleopunctata
Last, White & Séret, 2016
,
N. kuhlii
(Müller & Henle, 1841)
,
N. leylandi
(
Last, 1987
)
,
N. ningalooensis
Last, White & Puckridge, 2010
,
N. orientale
Last, White & Séret, 2016
,
N. picta
Last & White, 2008
,
N. trigonoides
(Castelnau, 1873)
, and
N. varidens
(Garman, 1885)
.
Remarks
. The taxonomy of a subgroup of
Neotrygon
, the kuhlii-complex, is not fully resolved (
Puckridge
et al.
, 2013
). Three new members of the kuhlii-complex were described recently and a
Western
Pacific species (
N. varidens
) was resurrected (Last
et al.
, 2016). Members of this subgroup are very similar in morphology and an Indo–Pacific revision is needed.