Descriptions of new Australian chondrichthyans 123 Bythaelurus incanus sp. nov., a new deepwater catshark (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from northwestern Australia Peter R. Last & John D. Stevens CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, Tas 7001, AUSTRALIA ABSTRACT.— Bythaelurus incanus, a new species belonging to a rare genus of deepwater catsharks, is described based on a single specimen collected from the Ashmore Terrace, off northwestern Australia LQDERXWPGHSWK,WFRPSOLHVFORVHO\ZLWKWKHGH¿QLWLRQRI&RPSDJQR¶VUHFHQWO\HOHYDWHGVXEJHQXV of the genus Halaelurus. Bythaelurus incanus differs from most of its congeners in morphometrics and colour, being uniformly plain coloured both dorsally and ventrally rather than spotted and blotched, weakly saddled or paler ventrally, and in denticle and tooth morphologies. Key words. Scyliorhinidae – Bythaelurus incanus – deepwater catshark – new species – Australia PDF contact:
[email protected] INTRODUCTION FDXGDO FHQWUDRIWKHFDXGDO¿Q YHUWHEUDH7KHKRORW\SH is deposited in the Australian National Fish Collection, Members of the subgenus Bythaelurus Compagno, Hobart (CSIRO). 1988, were initially assigned to the genus Halaelurus (Compagno, 1984). Compagno (2005) elevated the group to genus level, presumably based on the combination of Bythaelurus incanus sp. nov. FKDUDFWHUVXVHGWRGH¿QHKLVVXEJHQXV+HOLVWHGVHYHQ members of the group: Bythaelurus alcockii (Garman, Figs 1, 2; Table 1 1913), B. canescens (Günther, 1878), B. clevai (Séret, 1987), B. dawsoni (Springer, 1971), B. hispidus (Alcock, HalaelurusVS$/DVW 6WHYHQVSSNH\¿J 1891), B. immaculatus (Chu & Meng in Chu, Meng, Hu ¿JSO&RPSDJQRet al., 2005: p 215, pl. 35. & Li, 1982), B. lutarius (Springer & D’Aubrey, 1972), of which B. alcockii is considered questionable. Compagno Holotype. &6,52 + ± MXYHQLOH PDOH PP et al. (2005) provided short descriptions of these species TL, south of Roti Island, Ashmore Terrace, Western and included two extra undescribed species: a new $XVWUDOLDƍ6ƍ(±P-DQ species from the Galapagos Islands (as B.