Neotrygon Ningalooensis N. Sp. (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae), a New Maskray from Australia
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aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology Neotrygon ningalooensis n. sp. (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae), a new maskray from Australia Peter R. Last, William T. White* and Melody Puckridge CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS 7001, AUSTRALIA *Corresponding author: [email protected] Received: 30 October 2009 – Accepted: 04 February 2010 Abstract gut unterscheiden lassen. Neotrygon ningalooensis und N. ley- A new maskray, Neotrygon ningalooensis n. sp., is landi zeigen beide eine Schmuckzeichnung auf dem described from material collected near Coral Bay in the Rücken, haben aber nicht die lebhaft blauen Flecken, wie sie Ningaloo Marine Park, off the central coast of Western für N. kuhlii typisch sind. Durch Molekularanalyse ließ sich Australia, where its distribution appears to be restricted bestätigen, dass die drei sympatrischen Arten im Ningaloo- and patchy. However, other recently accessed material, col- Gebiet tatsächlich getrennte Arten sind. lected further south (Shark Bay, Western Australia) and east (Gove, Northern Territory), suggest that this species is Résumé more widespread. Like other members of the genus Neotry- Une nouvelle raie masquée, Neotrygon ningalooensis sp. gon, it lives primarily on sandy substrates but often hides nov. est décrite sur base de matériel collecté près de Coral partly concealed beneath small coral bommies during the Bay, dans le Ningaloo Marine Park, au large de la côte cen- day. Its eyes are relatively more protrusible than its con- trale de l’Australie occidentale où sa distribution paraît geners enabling it to bury deeply in soft sediments with its réduite et clairsemée. D’autres exemplaires accessibles eyes still exposed. The type specimens were speared in shal- depuis peu, collectés plus au sud (Shark Bay, Australie occi- low water near the shore in close association with two con- dentale) et à l’est (Gove, Territoire du Nord), suggèrent que geners, N. leylandi and N. kuhlii, from which it differs in cette espèce est plus largement répartie. Comme d’autres colour and morphology. Neotrygon ningalooensis and N. membres du genre Neotrygon, elle vit surtout sur des sub- ley landi both have an ornate dorsal coloration but lack the strats sableux, mais se cache souvent en partie sous de vivid blue spots typical of N. kuhlii. Molecular analysis has petites branches coralliennes le jour. Ses yeux sont relative- confirmed that the three sympatric species at Ningaloo are ment plus proéminents que chez ses congénères, lui per - specifically distinct. met tant de s’enfoncer profondément dans des sédiments mous, les yeux restant apparents. Les spécimens types ont Zusammenfassung été harponnés en eau peu profonde, près de la plage, en Die neue Maskenrochen-Art Neotrygon ningalooensis sp. proche association avec deux congénères, N. leylandi et N. nov. wird nach Material beschrieben, das nahe der Coral Bay kuhlii, dont elle diffère par la couleur et la morphologie. im Nongaloo Marine Park vor der mittleren Küste Westaus- Neotrygon ningalooensis et N. leylandi ont tous deux une traliens gefangen worden war, wo das Vorkommen offenbar riche coloration dorsale, mais n’ont pas les taches bleu vif beschränkt und lückenhaft ist. Weiteres, erst seit kurzem typiques de N. kuhlii. L’analyse moléculaire a confirmé que verfügbares Material, das weiter südwärts (Shark Bay, West- les trois espèces sympatriques de Ningaloo sont des espèces Australien) und ostwärts (Gove, Northern Territory) gefan- distinctes. gen wurde, legt den Schluss nahe, dass diese Art doch weiter verbreitet ist. Wie andere Vertreter der Gattung Neotrygon Sommario auch leben die Tiere der neuen Art vorwiegend über sandi- Una nuova razza mascherata, Neotrygon ningalooensis n. gem Grund, verstecken sich aber tagsüber gerne zwischen sp., è descritta sulla base di materiale raccolto presso la Korallengestein so, dass sie nur teilweise sichtbar sind. Die Coral Bay del parco marino Ningaloo, situato al largo della Augen treten bei ihnen stärker hervor als bei anderen Arten costa centrale della Western Australia, dove sembra essere der Gattung, sodass sie sich tief in weiches Sediment ein- confinato seppur con una distribuzione disomogenea. graben können, mit den Augen aber noch herausgucken. Altro materiale acquisito recentemente, raccolto più a sud Die Typus-Exemplare wurden in flachem Wasser nahe der (Shark Bay, Western Australia) e ad est (Gove, Northern Küste mit dem Speer erbeutet, wo sie mit zwei anderen Territory), suggerisce che la diffusione di questa specie è in Angehörigen der Gattung: N. leylandi und N. kuhlii, eng realtà più ampia. Come altri membri del genere Neotrygon, vergesellschaftet sind, die sich aber nach Farbe und Gestalt abita principalmente i fondali sabbiosi e spesso durante il 37 aqua vol. 16 no. 2 - 20 April 2010 Neotrygon ningalooensis n. sp. (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae), a new maskray from Australia giorno si occulta parzialmente sotto isolati affioramenti di N. leylandi and no collection location was speci- barriera corallina (bommies). Gli occhi sono relativamente fied. In a subsequent field trip in late 2008, two più protrusibili di quelli dei congeneri consentendole di specimens of the unidentified species were col- in fossarsi in profondità nei sedimenti mantenendo gli lected near Coral Bay in the central area of the occhi ancora esposti. Gli esemplari tipo sono stati arpi- onati in acque poco profonde presso il litorale in stretta park. In addition, a colleague (J. Vaudo), working associazione con due congeneri, N. leylandi e N. kuhlii, dai in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, recently quali differisce per la colorazione e la morfologia. Neotry- provided underwater photographs and specimens gon ningalooensis e N. leylandi posseggono entrambi una of a similar form from shallow regions of the east- colorazione dorsale ornata ma mancano delle vivide mac- ern gulf. While this manuscript was being chie blu tipiche di N. kuhlii. L’analisi molecolare ha con- reviewed, K. Jensen and J. N. Caira provided a fermato che le tre specie simpatriche presenti a Ningaloo photograph of a mature male specimen speared in sono specie distinte. 1999 near Gove (Northern Territory), which closely resembles this species in coloration. INTRODUCTION Tissue samples obtained from the two captured The Ningaloo Marine Park (NMP), which specimens were DNA barcoded to provide a com- stretches for over 300 km along the western Aus- parison with sympatric congeners. The use of tralian coastline, contains a high diversity of marine DNA barcoding, the sequencing of a ca 655 bp habitats and is considered a global biodiversity region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase hotspot (Waples & Hollander, 2008). In 1987, the I (COI) gene, has proven to be highly effective at region was declared a marine park and since 2004, discriminating between chondrichthyan species with the establishment of the Ningaloo Research (Ward et al. 2008). Morphological and molecular Program, there has been a surge in research projects data helped confirm that this maskray is unde- in this important area. The NMP and the more scribed. In the following paper, we provide a southern Shark Bay region have surprisingly rich description of this new species and compare it with ray faunas, including at least three sympatric species other members of the genus Neotrygon. of maskrays of the genus Neotrygon. The genus Neotrygon Castelnau was resurrected as MATERIALS AND METHODS a valid generic name for a group of maskrays by Characteristics of the disc (including squamation, Last & White (2008), whose members were previ- tooth row counts and meristic counts) follow stan- ously assigned to the genus Dasyatis. These authors dards used in Manjaji (2004) and Manjaji-Mat- provided a definition of this genus and description sumoto & Last (2006). Meristics were obtained of a new species, and listed four valid nominal from radiographs of the holotype (CSIRO H species: the Australian endemics N. annotata (Last, 6827–01) and paratype (CSIRO H 6826–01) of 1987), N. leylandi (Last, 1987), N. picta Last & the new species. Morphometric methods, includ- White, 2008, and the wide-ranging Indo-West ing tail fold measurements, follow Last & White Pacific N. kuhlii (Müller & Henle, 1841). Prior to (2008). A total of 63 measurements, expressed as the description of N. annotata and N. leylandi, proportional measurements of disc width (DW), only a single species was considered to occur across were taken for the holotype and paratype. Three the Indo-West Pacific. A phylogenetic analysis of Shark Bay specimens, resembling the new species, this genus is currently underway by one of the were also measured in full. Comparative morpho- junior authors (MP). metrics and meristics for N. leylandi and N. picta In 2007, a field-based project was funded by were provided by Last & White (2008). Since the Western Australian Marine Science Institute posterior tail was damaged in both types of the new (WAMSI) to define the species composition of species, only a subsample of the tail fold measure- sharks and rays in the NMP and examine their spe- ments could be taken. Types were deposited in the cific habitat requirements. On the first trip, an Australian National Fish Collection (CSIRO), at unidentifiable species of Neotrygon, was observed the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial in shallow-water at two localities. Its striking Research Organisation’s Marine Laboratories in colour pattern differs markedly from two sym- Hobart (Tasmania). patric nominal species, N. kuhlii and N. leylandi,