New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

---

New softnose skate genus Brochiraja from New Zealand (Rajidae: Arhynchobatinae) with description of four new species

PETER R. LAST

CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
GPO Box 1538
Hobart
TAS 7001, Australia

JOHN D. McEACHRAN

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A&M University
College Station
Texas 77843, United States

Abstract Brochiraja, a new rajid genus, is defined for a group of softnose skates from the deep sea adjacent New Zealand. The group presently contains six species: Brochiraja asperula (Garrick & Paul), B. spinifera (Garrick & Paul), and four new taxa, B albilabiata sp. nov., B. aenigma sp. nov., B. leviveneta sp. nov., and B. microspinifera sp. nov. These species are closely related to members of the Indo-Pacific genus Notoraja but three of them differ from all other softnose skates (arhynchobatins) in at least one presumed synaphomorphy—the presence of a bifurcated thorn on the mid-distal rostral cartilage that is strongly evident in juveniles and variably reduced in adults. Placement of B. aenigma, known only from the post-juvenile holotype, lacks these thorns so its placement in the genus is provisional. The new species differ from B. asperula, B. spinifera, and each other, in coloration, morphometrics, squamation, and vertebral and pectoral-fin counts. The existence of multiple morphotypes of the two pre-existing nominal taxa suggests that the New Zealand skate fauna has vicariated from populations isolated from each other on the remote continental slopes, seamounts, and plateaus of the South-West Pacific.

Keywords Rajidae; Brochiraja; skates; new record; new species; New Zealand

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2006, Vol. 40: 65–90
0028–8330/06/4001–0065     © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006
M05056; Online publication date 31 January 2006Received 21 August 2005; accepted 30 November 2005

PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality (4715K) | screen-quality (984K)

---

This year's abstracts | Journal home page | All abstracts | Publishing home page