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<I>Pristiophorus Nancyae BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE. 87(3):501–512. 2011 NEW TAXA PAPER http://dx.doi.org/10.5343/bms.2010.1108 PRISTIOPHORUS NANCYAE, A NEW SPECIES OF SAWSHARK (CHONDRICHTHYES: PRISTIOPHORIDAe) FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA David A Ebert and Gregor M Cailliet ABSTRACT A new species of sawshark, Pristiophorus nancyae sp. nov., is described from eight specimens collected off Mozambique. The new species is the second member of the family Pristiophoridae and first member of the genus Pristiophorus described from the western Indian Ocean. The new Pristiophorus species can be distinguished from the sympatric occurring six-gilled sawshark, Pliotrema warreni Regan, 1906, most notably by having five paired gill openings as opposed to six. The new species is distinguished from all other Pristiophorus species by several distinctive characteristics. Most notably, the new species differs by having a very distinctive double row of four to five conspicuous large pits anterior to the nasal barbels on the underside of its snout. Other distinguishing characteristics include a broad, triangular first dorsal fin with a rear tip that extends behind the pelvic midbases, barbels much closer to mouth than snout tip, two rows of enlarged pits on the underside of the pre-barbel rostrum, ridges on the base of its large lateral rostral teeth, mostly tricuspidate, flat, imbricated lateral trunk denticles, and plain color pattern. The new species is compared to the five other known Pristiophorus species and a revised key to the genus is presented. The sawsharks P( ristiophoriformes: Pristiophoridae) are a small elasmobranch group with a single family, two genera, and five or more species C( ompagno et al. 2005). This is an unmistakable order, easily distinguishable by its elongated and flattened rostrum edged with slender sharp lateral teeth and a long pair of rostral barbels in front of the nostrils. These sharks have two dorsal fins, no anal fin, a short transverse mouth, and small cuspidate teeth in both jaws. Most species occur in the Indo-West Pacific, except for Pristiophorus schroederi Springer and Bullis, 1960, found in the western North Atlantic. Furthermore, except for Pliotrema warreni Regan, 1906, no other described pristiophorids are known from the western Indian Ocean. Compagno et al. (2005) cite an undescribed species, Pristiophorus sp. D, from the western Indian Ocean and give its range as Mozambique, and possibly Somalia to the Arabian Sea off Pakistan. In June 1994, South Africa’s Marine and Coastal Management R/V Algoa con- ducted an extensive bottom trawl survey for horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) be- tween 37 and 517 m along the Mozambique coast. Two species of sawsharks were collected, P. warreni and a dwarf Pristiophorus (= Pristiophorus sp. D of Compagno et al. 2005), on the upper continental slope at depths of 286–517 m. Eight specimens of the new Pristiophorus species and three P. warreni were saved and deposited in the collections of the South African Museum. These Mozambique Pristiophorus speci- mens possess several very distinctive morphological characteristics that separate it from the five other known species of this genus. Here we describe this new western Indian Ocean Pristiophorus species. Bulletin of Marine Science 501 © 2011 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami 502 BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE. VOL 87, NO 3. 2011 Methods Morphometric measurements follow a modification of Compagno (2001) and Yearsley et al. (2008). Meristics, including tooth, spiral valve, pectoral fin radial, and vertebral counts, were taken for all specimens. Morphometric values are presented as ratios for the holotype followed by a range of paratype values in parentheses. Comparative material was obtained from collections at the California Academy of Sciences (CAS), Australian National Fish Collection, Hobart, Australia (CSIRO), LJV Compagno field number (LJVC), Museum Comparative Zoology (MCZ), Stanford University (SU: now housed at the CAS), South African Museum (SAM), United States National Museum (USNM), and the British Museum Natural History (BMNH). Institutional abbreviations follow Sabaj Pérez (2010) and are listed at http://www.asih.org/node/204. Pristiophorus nancyae new species [New English name: African dwarf sawshark] (Figs. 1–3, Tables 1, 2) Pristiophorus sp. D: Compagno et al. 2005: 135, ill., pl. 16. Holotype.—SAM 34013, 616 mm TL, mature male, R/V Algoa, Mozambique Scad Survey, bottom trawl, Station C00840 014 037 3074, 22°07´S, 35°45´E, 500 m, 19 June, 1994. Paratypes.—7 specimens: SAM 33477, 440 mm TL, maturing male taken with ho- lotype, R/V Algoa, Mozambique Scad Survey, bottom trawl, Station C00840 014 037 3074, 22°07´S, 35°45´E, 500 m, 19 June, 1994; SAM 33502, 573 mm TL, maturing female, R/V Algoa, Mozambique Scad Survey, bottom trawl, Station C00848 014 045 3179, 25°21´S, 34°30´E, 286 m, 21 June, 1994; SAM 33511 (five specimens), 314 and 358 mm TL, both immature males, 391 mm TL immature female, 522 and 550 mm TL, both mature males, R/V Algoa, Mozambique Scad Survey, bottom trawl, Station C00841 014 038 3118, 23°32´S, 35°51´E, 490 m, 20 June, 1994. Diagnosis.—A small five-gilled sawshark distinct from its congeners by the pres- ence of two rows of enlarged pre-barbel pits on the rostral ventral surface; rostral barbels closer to mouth than snout tip; base of large rostral teeth with ridges. Eyes very large, oval-shaped, emerald green in life. First dorsal fin broadly triangular, with rear tip extending behind pelvic fin midbases. Lateral trunk denticles imbricated. Coloration in life brownish gray laterally, becoming lighter ventrally; fin margins lighter along posterior edges; dorsal rostrum surface with two distinct longitudinal dark stripes; lateral rostral teeth dark-edged. Description.—Body slender, snout flattened, forming very elongated, blade-like rostrum, pre-barbel length 17.0% (16.6%–17.5%) total length (TL). Head very nar- row, subtriangular, strongly depressed over eyes, height greatest at gill opening, head width at mouth 6.9% (6.2%–7.9%) TL; head width at nostril 4.8 (4.1–5.0) times in pre- orbital length. Trunk narrow, tapering toward caudal origin; subcircular in cross- section; pectoral-pelvic space 12.9% (12.9%–15.0%) TL. Head length 0.5 (0.5) times trunk length; pectoral-pelvic length short 12.9% (12.9%–15.0%) TL; dorsal-caudal ebert AND CAILLIET: new SHARK from SOUTHERN AFRICA 503 Figure 1. Pristiophorus nancyae sp. nov., holotype, SAM 34013, 616 mm TL, mature male. space 8.4% (7.8%–9.2%) TL; caudal peduncle height 3.5 (3.4–4.1) into dorsal caudal space, and width 0.9 (0.8–1.0) in height. Lateral keels present; no precaudal pits. Rostrum is very long, narrow, and tapering; pre-oral length 28.4% (27.7%–29.6%) TL; sides of rostrum slightly convex from tip to barbels and nearly straight between barbels and nostrils. Ratio of pre-orbital length to rostrum width at nostrils 4.8 (4.1– 5.0). Two parallel rows of 4 (4–5) enlarged pits present on underside of pre-barbel snout. Barbels closer to mouth than rostral tip, pre-barbel length 59.8% (58.4%– 60.7%) of pre-oral length; space from barbel to nostril 0.8 (0.7–0.9) times space from nostril to first gill opening; barbels ending 0.4 (0.2–0.5) eye length anterior to nos- trils in adults, posterior to them by 0.3 to 0.7 of eye length in juveniles. Large lateral rostral saw-teeth along sides of snout and head total 25 (21–32), including 16 (15–22) teeth in front of barbels and 9 (6–10) teeth behind barbels. Post-narial lateral rostral teeth extending 0.4 (0.1–0.5) times eye length behind eye. Adults (> 400 mm) have up to 4 smaller rostral teeth between large lateral rostral saw-teeth; juveniles < 400 mm with 1–3. Prominent longitudinal ridges on bases of lateral and ventral rostral teeth. Ventral rostral teeth anterior to barbels number 15 (13–18), between barbels and nostril 6 (5–7). A ventral rostral tooth in front of nostril but this not enlarged. Eyes oval, very large, lateral on head, length 3.5% (3.5%–4.6%) TL; distance to last rostral tooth 1.5 (0.3–1.9); inter-orbital concave width 4.4% (4.2%–5.0%) TL; sub-ocular groove present. Spiracles small, length 3.7 (2.3–5.4) times eye length, crescent-shaped, slightly oblique; located just posterior to eye. Gill openings small, lateral on head, closer to ventral surface than dorsal; each similar in length, evenly spaced except for fourth and fifth openings slightly closer to each other; fifth gill opening arches slightly around pectoral fin origin. Nostrils small, anterior nasal flap lobe-like and well-developed; excurrent aper- tures transversely oval, nearly circular, width 0.8% (0.7%–1.0%) TL, 3.9 (3.2–4.0) in internarial width. Distance from nostrils to mouth 1.2 (1.1–1.3) times internarial space. Distance from nostrils to barbels 1.3 (1.1–1.4) times distance between nostrils and mouth corners. Mouth broadly arched, extending forward to below posterior third or fourth of eye, width 4.3% (4.0%–4.3%) TL. Labial furrows short, upper and lower about equal 504 BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE. VOL 87, NO 3. 2011 Table 1. Pristiophorus nancyae total length proportions (TL%) of the holotype (SAM 34013) and seven paratypes. Measurement Holotype Paratypes Total length (mm) 616.0 314–573 Pre-caudal length 80.0 78.3–80.7 Pre-barbel length 17.0 16.6–17.5 Pre-narial length 24.2 23.6–25.4 Pre-oral length 28.4 27.7–29.6 Pre-orbital length 25.8 25.1–26.6 Pre-spiracle length 29.4 28.8–30.9 Pre-gill length 33.4 33.2–35.0 Head length 37.0 36.4–38.5 Pre-pectoral length 37.0 36.4–38.5 Pre-pelvic length 52.9 51.6–54.1
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