DOCSLIB.ORG

Elasmobranchii, Mobulidae

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Elasmobranchii, Mobulidae Contr. Tert. Quatern. Geol. 27(2-3) 1 pi. Leiden, September 1990 93 A new species of mobulid ray (Elasmobranchii, Mobulidae) from the Oligocene of Belgium Taco J. Bor SLIEDRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS Taco A of mobulid from the of — Contr. Tert Bor, J. new species ray (Elasmobranchii, Mobulidae) Oligocene Belgium. Quatern. Geol., 27(2-3): 93-97, 1 pi. Leiden, September 1990. A new mobulid species, Plinthicus kruibekensis, from the Oligocene (Rupelian) Boom Clay Formation of Belgium is described. Key words — Chondrichthyes, Mobulidae, Oligocene, Rupelian, Belgium. T.J. Bor, P.A. de Genestetstraat 102, 3362 TH Sliedrecht, The Netherlands Contents (Late Palaeocene - Middle Eocene), Burnhamia Palaeocene - Middle Eomobula Introduction 93 (Late Eocene), (Late p. Eocene - Middle Manta Miocene - 94 Eocene), (Early Systematic part p. Recent), Mobula (Late Eocene - Recent) and Plin- Acknowledgements p. 96 thicus Miocene - Middle How- References 96 (Early Miocene). p. ever, mobulid teeth have not yet been described Introduction from the Oligocene. Pfeil (1981) described two The family Mobulidae (devil rays) includes the mobulid species from the Latdorfian Schonecker largest representatives of living batoid fishes. Some Fischschiefer of southern Germany, but the Lat- Manta birostris dorfian species, e.g. (Donndorff, 1798), may is now incorporated into the Eocene while least 6.7 and in attain a disc width of at m a weight the Oligocene comprises only the Rupelian and of Chattian excess 1,400 kg (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1953). (Cowie & Bassett, 1989). Nowadays, devil rays occur worldwide in tropical In 1984, a tooth of an undescribed Plinthicus and subtropical seas quite commonly, more rarely species was collected by the author from the sieve in continental residue of sediment from the Boom warm-temperate waters; over a sample Clay shelves well around distant islands. Formation as as larger (Oligocene, Rupelian) of Kruibeke Their mode of life is and It is the earliest known pelagic they are highly near Antwerp, Belgium. oc- migratory, swimming often in small schools close currence of this genus and first evidence of its the surface. Unlike all other mobulids in the North Sea Basin. The elasmo- to rays, presence filter-feedon zooplankton (fish fry, crustacean lar- branch fauna from the Boom Clay Formation in vae and small squids) by means of a specialised Belgium is well known and has been the subject of branchial sieve In the several Leriche Steurbaut apparatus. living mobulids, papers, e.g. (1910), & small and teeth wide of Herman and It is dominated numerous display a range (1978) Nolf(1986). by variation with regard to theirmorphology, which is small teeth ofSqualus (72%) and Raja (24%); larger about of of their teeth of e. p. Carcharias and brought by a process regression are extremely rare repre- dentition which is in than of of no longer use. sent no more 4% the total number Fossil mobulid teeth have been described from elasmobranch teeth. The extreme rarity of mobu- the of North Africa and lid teeth be due the considerablefall in Tertiary Europe, America, may to tem- Asia. Archaeomanta the The family includes the genera perature at Latdorfian-Rupelian boundary. 94 ferred to and van den Bosch SYSTEMATIC PART Vandenberghe (1978) & Janssen (in press). Class Chondrichthyes — of the Boom For- Type horizon Upper part Clay Subclass Elasmobranchii mation, Putte Member. Sediment sample from Superorder Batomorphii bed number 56, which coincides with septaria Order Myliobatiformes S6 level S60, formerly referred to as (Vanden- Family Mobulidae berghe, 1978; Vandenberghe & Laga, 1986). Age: Genus Plinthicus Cope, 1869 Oligocene, Rupelian. — — 1869. The tooth is but of Type species Plinthicus stenodon Cope, Description very fragile, per- — known fect of abrasion Generic diagnosis Extinct mobulid ray on- preservation, showing no signs The dentition is similar due functional trans- ly from isolated teeth. to to usage or 'post-mortem' whatsoever. The tooth is 3.0 5.4 that of Rhinoptera with hexagonal teeth which port mm high, decrease in width wide and 1.6 mm regularly from the symphysial mm long. be The is in outer- towards the lateral rows. The teeth may quite crown very high, compressed is inner In to 25 mm wide. The crown com- direction and mesio-distally. large, up high, expanded view the has pressed in outer-inner direction, expanded mesio- inner and outer crown a subrectangu- the mesial than the distal lar the basal side the distally, higher on on outline; being rectilinear, oc- the occlusal clusal side the mesial and distal part, strongly sloping inwards, placing slightly concave, somewhat backwards with the basal sides The crown is surface respect to crown semi-elliptical. face, and shows pronounced enameloid laminae asymmetrical, being slightly higher on the mesial inner and faces. The than the distal The mesial and on the outer polyaulacorhizid on part. elliptical half thick root is low and poorly developed. distal crown extensions are about as as — of the between the Discussion The Plinthicus is known. the middle crown occlusal genus poorly part and basal In lateral the first The only species described hitherto is the type faces. view, crown is and then towards species, P. stenodon Cope, 1869. It common in slopes outwards curves strongly the occlusal face back- the Miocene of Maryland and North Carolina, the inner side, thus placing in the Miocene of southern wards with the basal face. The U.S.A., and rare respect to crown oc- outline with France (Cappetta, 1970, 1987). clusal surface has a clearly hexagonal Plinthicus is included in the family Mobulidae, sigmoidal inner and outer sides, the inner edge since the general tooth morphology (especially the being sharp, the outer edge rounded and slightly face. The flat and high, compressed crown and polyaulacorhizid overhanging the outer crown face is times wide root) resembles that of certain extant Mobula smooth occlusal 2.6 as as deep. It shows a number of low, broad and species. In addition, the degree of wear of the teeth irregular in direction. The in- is negligible, which would suggest a diet of soft folds that run an outer-inner of thus of life ner crown face shows an prey, and a pelagic way (Cappetta, anastomosing pattern vertical with intermediate 1970, 1987). very pronounced ridges of On the outer face grooves varying depth. crown kruibekensis similar of is Plinthicus nov. sp a pattern anastomosing ridges pres- inner face which is PI. 1, Figs 1-5. ent, in contrast to the crown covered with large and blunt spine-like outgrowths Derivation — This is named after the of size and The inner rim is of name species varying shape. crown in extended and the The type locality Kruibeke northern Belgium. smooth, overhangs root. — rim is smooth and Material A single tooth, the holotype, collected outer crown slightly convex. by the author in 1984. It is deposited in the collec- The basal face of the crown has a hexagonal out- tions of the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum line with subrectilinear inner and outer sides. The Minéra- crown/root lies in in the (formerly Rijksmuseum van Geologie en junction a depression basal surface of the logie), Leiden, The Netherlands. Registration crown. number RGM 177 500. The polyaulacorhizid root is low and poorly lobes Type locality — "Gralex" clay pit at Kruibeke, developed. The irregularly shaped root are broad and inter- situated SW of the city of Antwerp, Belgium. separated by rather deep parallel in and of Coordinates: = = 208.5. For des- median section x 146.5, y a grooves, U-shaped vary- width and The mesialmost and distal- cription of the section exposed the reader is re- ing depth. 95 lobes fused. The known and the chances of further most root are partly foramina, specimens being being variable in size and shape, are randomly discovered in the near future are slight. scattered of in over the root; the larger foramina occur 4. The specimen is importance representing in the intermedian grooves. the stratigraphically oldest species of Plinthicus and — The Plinthicus mobulid described. Differential diagnosis genus was only Oligocene yet until The P. monotypic now. type species, steno- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS described and don, was by Cope (1869: 116-117), for the first time Hussakof The electron made figured by (1908: 33, scanning micrographs were by and Dr M. den with the fig. 10); a good description figure were given van Boogaard Jeol JSM-840A also by Cappetta (1987: 177-178, fig. 148G-I). SEM unit of the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch The tooth of P. kruibekensis described here Museum, Leiden; his assistance is gratefully resembles those of P. stenodon in general mor- acknowledged. but differs in the phology, following respects: I wish to thankMr M. van den Bosch (Winters- wijk, The Netherlands), Dr H. Cappetta (Mont- Plinthicus kruibekensis Plinthicus stenodon pellier, France), Dr J. Herman (Brussels, Bel- gium), Mr D.C. Hovestadt and Mrs M. Hove- - first in - inwards and crown slopes out- crown slopes stadt-Euler (Terneuzen, The Netherlands) for ward direction and then finally curves upwards items of literature SEM on mobulids, photographs curves inwards of teeth of living Mobula species and constructive - occlusal face flat - occlusal face hollow comments. - anastomosing enameloid - parallel enameloid faces of I thank the editors of this laminae on crown faces of laminae on crown Finally periodical, varying height. equal height. Messrs A.W. Janssen and J.W.M. Jagt, for critically reading the manuscript and correcting There literature the the are no data as to presence or English. absence of dignathic heterodonty in Plinthicus. The REFERENCES possibility that the differences mentioned above of different tooth are partly an expression mor- Bigelow, H.B., & W.C. Schroeder, 1953. Fishes of the North Atlantic. skates in the and lower cannot be rul- western Sawfishes, guitarfishes, phology upper jaws and — Mem. Sears Found. Mar.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Manta Or Mobula
    IOTC-2010-WPEB-inf01 Draft identification guide IOTC Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch (WPEB) Victoria, Seychelles 27-30 October, 2010 Mobulidae of the Indian Ocean: an identification hints for field sampling Draft, version 2.1, August 2010 by Romanov Evgeny(1)* (1) IRD, UMR 212 EME, Centre de Recherche Halieutique Mediterraneenne et Tropicale Avenue Jean Monnet – BP 171, 34203 Sete Cedex, France ([email protected]) * Present address: Project Leader. Project “PROSpection et habitat des grands PElagiques de la ZEE de La Réunion” (PROSPER), CAP RUN, ARDA, Magasin n°10, Port Ouest, 97420, Le Port, La Réunion, France. ABSTRACT Draft identification guide for species of Mobulidae family, which is commonly observed as by-catch in tuna associated fishery in the region is presented. INTRODUCTION Species of Mobulidae family are a common bycatch occurs in the pelagic tuna fisheries of the Indian Ocean both in the industrial (purse seine and longline) and artisanal (gillnets) sector (Romanov 2002; White et al., 2006; Romanov et al., 2008). Apparently these species also subject of overexploitation: most of Indian Ocean species marked as vulnerable or near threatened at the global level, however local assessment are often not exist (Table). Status of the species of the family Mobulidae in the Indian Ocean (IUCN, 2007) IUCN Status1 Species Common name Global status WIO EIO Manta birostris (Walbaum 1792) Giant manta NT - VU Manta alfredi (Krefft, 1868) Alfred manta - - - Mobula eregoodootenkee Longhorned - - - (Bleeker, 1859) mobula Mobula japanica (Müller & Henle, Spinetail mobula NT - - 1841) Mobula kuhlii (Müller & Henle, Shortfin devil ray NE - - 1841) Mobula tarapacana (Philippi, Chilean devil ray DD - VU 1892) Mobula thurstoni (Lloyd, 1908) Smoothtail NT - - mobula Lack of the data on the distribution, fisheries and biology of mobulids is often originated from the problem with specific identification of these species in the field.
    [Show full text]
  • A Fish Fauna from the Lowermost Bartonian of the Transylvanian Basin, Romania
    Palaeontologia Electronica palaeo-electronica.org A fish fauna from the lowermost Bartonian of the Transylvanian Basin, Romania Nicolae Trif, Vlad Codrea, and Viorel Arghiuș ABSTRACT A fish fauna newly discovered in the middle Eocene marine sediments cropping out near the village of Luna de Sus, Romania, completes the fossil record of the East- ern European region. Teeth belonging to 15 species of Chondrichthyes and two spe- cies of Actinopterygii are herein recorded from the lowermost Bartonian deposits. These Paleogene fish document a marine tropical environment of medium deep waters in the northwestern area of the Transylvanian Basin. The vertical distributions of extant equivalent taxa allow a sea depth estimation of 100 to 200 m. The warm climate is doc- umented by both the present faunal assemblage and previous palynological studies. It is important to note the presence of the scarcely known and poorly understood pycno- dont species Phacodus punctatus and of the oldest representative of Labridae from this Carpathian area. The diversity of the fauna was found to be average compared to some areas from Western Europe or North Africa, but it falls within the regional diver- sity range of the Eastern European localities. Nicolae Trif. Department of Geology, Faculty of Biology-Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 1 Kogălniceanu St., 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania and Brukenthal National Museum, Natural History Museum, Sibiu, Romania, 1 Cetății St., Sibiu, 550160, Romania. [email protected] Vlad Codrea. Department of Geology, Faculty of Biology-Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 1 Kogălniceanu St., 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. [email protected] Viorel Arghiuș. Environmental Sciences Department, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Babeş-Bolyai University, 30 Fântânele St., 400294, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
    [Show full text]
  • Gymnuridae 575
    click for previous page Rajiformes: Gymnuridae 575 GYMNURIDAE Butterfly rays by J.D. McEachran, TexasA&MUniversity, USA and M.R. de Carvalho, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA iagnostic characters:Medium to large-sized stingrays (maximum disc width over 2 m).Body strongly de- Dpressed, with head, trunk, and broadly expanded pectoral fins forming rhomboid disc. Disc at least 1.5 times broad as long. Tail very slender and short (shorter than disc), distinctly demarcated from disc.Pec- toral fins continuous along sides of head, not forming subrostral lobes or cephalic fins.Eyes and spira- cles on top of head. Some species have spiracular tentacles. Snout obtuse and angular. Nasal curtains are broadly expanded and continuous across narrow isthmus in front of mouth and are smooth-edged (with rare exceptions). Mouth is slightly arched and lacks papillae on floor. Jaws bear many small teeth in bands. Cau- dal fin always absent, dorsal fin absent in all Western Central Atlantic representatives. Pectoral fins extend distinctly posterior to origin of pelvic fins. Pelvic fins are moderately laterally expanded and not divided into anterior and posterior lobes. Some species have 1 or more long, serrated spines. Tail with longitudinal folds on upper and/or lower surfaces. Skin of upper side naked in most species, but with a variable num- ber of tubercles in large individuals of others. Colour: dorsal surface grey, light green, olive, purple, or dark brown, sometimes with a reddish cast, often marked with spots or lines; ventral surface white, sometimes with a bronze or rusty cast. disc at least 1.5 times broad as long smooth nasal curtain nostril tail slender and short mouth detail of mouth Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Butterfly rays are cosmopolitan in tropical and warm-temperate waters, usu- ally inhabiting sandy and muddy bottoms in shallow coastal waters, including estuaries and river mouths.
    [Show full text]
  • Reassessment of Historical Sections from the Paleogene Marine Margin of the Congo Basin Reveals an Almost Complete Absence of Danian Deposits
    Geoscience Frontiers 10 (2019) 1039e1063 HOSTED BY Contents lists available at ScienceDirect China University of Geosciences (Beijing) Geoscience Frontiers journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/gsf Research Paper Reassessment of historical sections from the Paleogene marine margin of the Congo Basin reveals an almost complete absence of Danian deposits Floréal Solé a,*, Corentin Noiret b, Delphine Desmares c, Sylvain Adnet d, Louis Taverne a, Thierry De Putter e, Florias Mees e, Johan Yans b, Thomas Steeman f, Stephen Louwye f, Annelise Folie g, Nancy J. Stevens h, Gregg F. Gunnell i,1, Daniel Baudet e, Nicole Kitambala Yaya j, Thierry Smith a a Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Rue Vautier 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium b University of Namur (UNamur), Department of Geology, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium c Sorbonne Université, UPMC Paris 06, UMR 7207 (CR2P), MNHN-UPMC e CNRS, 75005, Paris, France d UMR 5554 e Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Université Montpellier, Place E. Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier Cedex 5, France e Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA), Geodynamics and Mineral Resources, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080, Tervuren, Belgium f Ghent University (UGent), Department of Geology, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium g Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Heritage Scientific Survey, Rue Vautier 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium h Ohio University, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Irvine Hall 228, Athens, OH, USA i Duke University Lemur Center, Division of Fossil Primates (DFP), 1013 Broad Street, Durham, NC 27705, USA j Centre de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (CRGM), 44, av.
    [Show full text]
  • Occurrence of Devil Rays (Myliobatiformes: Mobulidae)
    Scientific Note Record of a pregnant Mobula thurstoni and occurrence of Manta birostris (Myliobatiformes: Mobulidae) in the vicinity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (Equatorial Atlantic) 1, 2* 1 1 SIBELE A. MENDONÇA , BRUNO C. L. MACENA , EMMANUELLY CREIO , DANIELLE 1, 2 1 1 L. VIANA , DANIEL F. VIANA & FABIO. H. V. HAZIN 1Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, UFRPE Laboratório de Oceanografia Pesqueira, LOP/Departamento de Pesca e Aqüicultura, DEPAq/. Av. Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, campus universitário, Dois Irmãos. CEP- 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brasil. 2 Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, UFPE, Cidade Universitária, Departamento de Oceanografia, Recife, PE, Brasil. *E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. In this study, the occurrence of a pregnant Mobula thurstoni and six specimens of Manta birostris from the Archipelago of St. Peter and St. Paul were recorded for the first time. The description of morphology and morphometrics of the embryo of M. thurstoni was also reported. Keywords: oceanic island, chondrichthyes, elasmobranchii, devil rays, pelagic animal Resumo. Registro de Mobula thurstoni prenhe e ocorrência de Manta birostris (Myliobatiformes: Mobulidae) no entorno do Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo (Atlântico Equatorial). No presente trabalho, as ocorrências de uma Mobula thurstoni prenhe e de seis espécimes de Manta birostris no Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo foram registradas pela primeira vez. A descrição morfológica e os dados morfométricos do embrião de M. thurstoni foram igualmente reportados. Palavras chave: ilha oceânica, chondrichthyes, elasmobranchii, raias manta, animais pelágicos The Mobulidae family is composed of 11 latter, four species were recorded in the vicinity of species and two genera: Manta and Mobula and is the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA; found typically in waters rich in secondary 00°55’N, 29°21’W); M.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesser Devil Rays Mobula Cf. Hypostoma from Venezuela Are Almost Twice Their Previously Reported Maximum Size and May Be a New Sub-Species
    Journal of Fish Biology (2017) 90, 1142–1148 doi:10.1111/jfb.13252, available online at wileyonlinelibrary.com Lesser devil rays Mobula cf. hypostoma from Venezuela are almost twice their previously reported maximum size and may be a new sub-species N. R. Ehemann*†‡§, L. V. González-González*† and A. W. Trites‖ *Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Apartado Postal 592, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23000, Mexico, †Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas del Mar (ECAM), Boca del Río, Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo Nueva Esparta (UDONE), Boca del Río, Nueva Esparta, C.P. 06304, Venezuela, ‡Proyecto Iniciativa Batoideos (PROVITA), Caracas, Venezuela and ‖Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada (Received 8 September 2016, Accepted 23 November 2016) Three rays opportunistically obtained near Margarita Island, Venezuela, were identified as lesser devil rays Mobula cf. hypostoma, but their disc widths were between 207 and 230 cm, which is almost dou- ble the reported maximum disc width of 120 cm for this species. These morphometric data suggest that lesser devil rays are either larger than previously recognized or that these specimens belong to an unknown sub-species of Mobula in the Caribbean Sea. Better data are needed to describe the distribu- tion, phenotypic variation and population structure of this poorly known species. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles Key words: batoids; by-catch; Caribbean Sea; Chondrichthyes; Myliobatiformes. There is limited biological and fisheries information about the body size at maturity, population size, stock, maximum age and length–mass relationships of Mobula hypos- toma (Bancroft, 1831), better known as the lesser devil ray.
    [Show full text]
  • Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology • Number 90
    SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO PALEOBIOLOGY • NUMBER 90 Geology and Paleontology of the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina, III Clayton E. Ray and David J. Bohaska EDITORS ISSUED MAY 112001 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Smithsonian Institution Press Washington, D.C. 2001 ABSTRACT Ray, Clayton E., and David J. Bohaska, editors. Geology and Paleontology of the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina, III. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, number 90, 365 pages, 127 figures, 45 plates, 32 tables, 2001.—This volume on the geology and paleontology of the Lee Creek Mine is the third of four to be dedicated to the late Remington Kellogg. It includes a prodromus and six papers on nonmammalian vertebrate paleontology. The prodromus con­ tinues the historical theme of the introductions to volumes I and II, reviewing and resuscitat­ ing additional early reports of Atlantic Coastal Plain fossils. Harry L. Fierstine identifies five species of the billfish family Istiophoridae from some 500 bones collected in the Yorktown Formation. These include the only record of Makairapurdyi Fierstine, the first fossil record of the genus Tetrapturus, specifically T. albidus Poey, the second fossil record of Istiophorus platypterus (Shaw and Nodder) and Makaira indica (Cuvier), and the first fossil record of/. platypterus, M. indica, M. nigricans Lacepede, and T. albidus from fossil deposits bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Robert W. Purdy and five coauthors identify 104 taxa from 52 families of cartilaginous and bony fishes from the Pungo River and Yorktown formations. The 10 teleosts and 44 selachians from the Pungo River Formation indicate correlation with the Burdigalian and Langhian stages. The 37 cartilaginous and 40 bony fishes, mostly from the Sunken Meadow member of the Yorktown Formation, are compatible with assignment to the early Pliocene planktonic foraminiferal zones N18 or N19.
    [Show full text]
  • Paleogene Origin of Planktivory in the Batoidea
    Paleogene Origin Of Planktivory In The Batoidea CHARLIE J. UNDERWOOD, 1+ MATTHEW A. KOLMANN, 2 and DAVID J. WARD 3 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, UK, [email protected]; 2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Canada, [email protected]; 3Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK, [email protected] +Corresponding author RH: UNDERWOOD ET AL.—ORIGIN OF PLANKTIVOROUS BATOIDS 1 ABSTRACT—The planktivorous mobulid rays are a sister group to, and descended from, rhinopterid and myliobatid rays which possess a dentition showing adaptations consistent with a specialized durophageous diet. Within the Paleocene and Eocene there are several taxa which display dentitions apparently transitional between these extreme trophic modality, in particular the genus Burnhamia. The holotype of Burnhamia daviesi was studied through X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning. Digital renderings of this incomplete but articulated jaw and dentition revealed previously unrecognized characters regarding the jaw cartilages and teeth. In addition, the genus Sulcidens gen. nov. is erected for articulated dentitions from the Paleocene previously assigned to Myliobatis. Phylogenetic analyses confirm Burnhamia as a sister taxon to the mobulids, and the Mobulidae as a sister group to Rhinoptera. Shared dental characters between Burnhamia and Sulcidens likely represent independent origins of planktivory within the rhinopterid – myliobatid clade. The transition from highly-specialized durophagous feeding morphologies to the morphology of planktivores is perplexing, but was facilitated by a pelagic swimming mode in these rays and we propose through subsequent transition from either meiofauna-feeding or pelagic fish-feeding to pelagic planktivory.
    [Show full text]
  • Database of Bibliography of Living/Fossil
    www.shark-references.com Version 16.01.2018 Bibliography database of living/fossil sharks, rays and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii, Holocephali) Papers of the year 2017 published by Jürgen Pollerspöck, Benediktinerring 34, 94569 Stephansposching, Germany and Nicolas Straube, Munich, Germany ISSN: 2195-6499 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32409.72801 copyright by the authors 1 please inform us about missing papers: [email protected] www.shark-references.com Version 16.01.2018 Abstract: This paper contains a collection of 817 citations (no conference abstracts) on topics related to extant and extinct Chondrichthyes (sharks, rays, and chimaeras) as well as a list of Chondrichthyan species and hosted parasites newly described in 2017. The list is the result of regular queries in numerous journals, books and online publications. It provides a complete list of publication citations as well as a database report containing rearranged subsets of the list sorted by the keyword statistics, extant and extinct genera and species descriptions from the years 2000 to 2017, list of descriptions of extinct and extant species from 2017, parasitology, reproduction, distribution, diet, conservation, and taxonomy. The paper is intended to be consulted for information. In addition, we provide data information on the geographic and depth distribution of newly described species, i.e. the type specimens from the years 1990 to 2017 in a hot spot analysis. New in this year's POTY is the subheader "biodiversity" comprising a complete list of all valid chimaeriform, selachian and batoid species, as well as a list of the top 20 most researched chondrichthyan species. Please note that the content of this paper has been compiled to the best of our abilities based on current knowledge and practice, however, possible errors cannot entirely be excluded.
    [Show full text]
  • Mobulid Rays) Are Slow-Growing, Large-Bodied Animals with Some Species Occurring in Small, Highly Fragmented Populations
    CMS/Sharks/MOS3/Inf.15e Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks Devil and Manta Ray Fact Sheet Manta birostris Manta alfredi Mobula mobular Mobula japanica Mobula thurstoni Mobula tarapacana Mobula eregoodootenkee Mobula kuhlii Mobula hypostoma Mobula rochebrunei Mobula munkiana 1 CMS/Sharks/MOS3/Inf.15e . Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Rajiformes Family: Rajiformes Manta alfredi – Reef Manta Ray Mobula mobular – Giant Devil Ray Mobula japanica – Spinetail Devil Ray Devil and Manta Rays Mobula thurstoni – Bentfin Devil Ray Raie manta & Raies Mobula Mobula tarapacana – Sicklefin Devil Ray Mantas & Rayas Mobula Mobula eregoodootenkee – Longhorned Pygmy Devil Ray Species: Mobula hypostoma – Atlantic Pygmy Devil Illustration: © Marc Dando Ray Mobula rochebrunei – Guinean Pygmy Devil Ray Mobula munkiana – Munk’s Pygmy Devil Ray Mobula kuhlii – Shortfin Devil Ray 1. BIOLOGY Devil and manta rays (family Mobulidae, the mobulid rays) are slow-growing, large-bodied animals with some species occurring in small, highly fragmented populations. Mobulid rays are pelagic, filter-feeders, with populations sparsely distributed across tropical and warm temperate oceans. Currently, nine species of devil ray (genus Mobula) and two species of manta ray (genus Manta) are recognized by CMS1. Mobulid rays have among the lowest fecundity of all elasmobranchs (1 young every 2-3 years), and a late age of maturity (up to 8 years), resulting in population growth rates among the lowest for elasmobranchs (Dulvy et al. 2014; Pardo et al 2016). 2. DISTRIBUTION The three largest-bodied species of Mobula (M. japanica, M. tarapacana, and M. thurstoni), and the oceanic manta (M. birostris) have circumglobal tropical and subtropical geographic ranges. The overlapping range distributions of mobulids, difficulty in differentiating between species, and lack of standardized reporting of fisheries data make it difficult to determine each species’ geographical extent.
    [Show full text]
  • Field Identification of Common Rays
    Field Identification of Rays and Some Common Flatfishes of India Rekha J. Nair 6 Demersal Fisheries Division ORDER Myliobatiformes This suborder includes all of the Eagle Rays (Myliobatidae), Cownose Rays (Rhinopteridae) and the Mobulid Rays and includes about 40 species which are characterized by diamond shaped bodies and wing-like pectoral fins which they use to propel themselves through open water. Eagle Rays and Cownose Rays feed on the seabed, using their mouths to dig amongst the substrate in search of buried molluscs and crustaceans, while the mobulid rays lead a complete pelagic life. The order has 8 families under it. Family Dasyatidae – Whip tail sting rays Dorsal fin totally absent or indistinct if when present. Tail long and whip-like. Most species with at least 1 long venomous spine on tail, which can cause excruciating pain to humans. Dasyatis kuhlii Dasyatis zugei Training Manual on Species Identification Himantura gerrardi Hypolophus sephen Cow tail sting ray A high lower caudal finfold present which is 2 to 3 times depth of tail but not reaching tail tip; no large thorns; 1 or 2 long stings on tail, further behind tail base. Urogymnus asperrimus – Porcupine ray - Protected under Wild Life Act, 1972 Himantura uarnak – Honey comb sting ray Tail with alternating black and white bands, tip mostly pale; skin folds pale at base with dark outer margin, disc with blue dots. Taeniura lymma (Forsskål, 1775) Identification of Common Rays and Flatfishes 89 Training Manual on Species Identification Taeniura meyeni Müller & Henle, 1841 Round ribbon tail ray Black blotches on a grey background Family Gymnuridae – Butterfly rays Disc broad, 1.5 times broader than long Dorsal fin and tail spines present Tail very slender and short (shorter than disc).
    [Show full text]
  • Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan
    Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan VOL. 32, NO. 6, PP. 71-90 APRIL 30, 2012 PRIABONIAN SHARKS AND RAYS (LATE EOCENE: NEOSELACHII) FROM MINQAR TABAGHBAGH IN THE WESTERN QATTARA DEPRESSION, EGYPT BY IYAD S. A. ZALMOUT1, MOHAMMAD S. M. ANTAR2,3, EZZAT ABD-EL SHAFY2, MAMOUD H. METWALLY2, EL-BIALY E. HATAB4, AND PHILIP D. GINGERICH1 Abstract — A Priabonian (late Eocene) neoselachian fauna of sharks and rays is known from marine strata in the foothills of Minqar Tabaghbagh, near the southwestern corner of the Qattara Depression in the Western Desert of Egypt. Neoselachian remains were collected from the lower glauconitic shales and mudstones of the Daba’a Formation, which is a western equivalent of the Qasr El-Sagha Formation found in the eastern part of the Western Desert. Neoselachians studied here are macro-scale, collected on the surface, and known either from teeth or rostral remains. Taxonomic evaluation shows that the neoselachians belong to five orders, 11 families, 19 genera, and 24 species. The species are:Hexanchus agassizi, Carcharias sp., Otodus cf. O. sokolowi, Brachycarcharias cf. B. twiggsensis, Macrorhizodus praecursor, Xiphodolamia serrata, Alopias alabamensis, Alopias sp., Abdounia aff. A. minutissima, Misrichthys stromeri, Carcharhinus sp. 1, Carcharhinus sp. 2, Galeocerdo sp. 1, Galeocerdo sp. 2, Negaprion frequens, Negaprion sp., Physogalus sp., Rhizoprionodon sp., Anoxypristis sp., Propristis schweinfurthi, Pristis lathami, Myliobatis sp. 1, Myliobatis sp. 2, and an indeterminate sting ray spine. Teeth of Otodus cf. O. sokolowi and Macrorhizodus praecursor are the most abundant remains recovered from the locality. Recovery of Xiphodolamia serrata confirms the late Eocene age of the faunal Minqar Tabaghbagh assemblage.
    [Show full text]