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Type: Article
Published: 2020-10-20
Page range: 515–543
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Bathyraja (Arctoraja) sexoculata sp. nov., a new softnose skate (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae) from Simushir Island, Kuril Islands (western North Pacific), with special reference to geographic variations in Bathyraja (Arctoraja) smirnovi

Tohoku National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, National Research and Development Agency, 25-259 Shimomekurakubo, Same, Hachinohe, Aomori 031-0841, Japan
Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), 17, V. Kransnoselskaya, Moscow 107140, Russia A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33, Leninsky Prospekt, Moscow, 119071, Russia Dagestan State University, 43a, Gadzhiyev St., Makhachkala, 367000, Russia Caspian Institute of Biological Resources, Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 45, Gadzhiyev St., Makhachkala, 367000, Russia
Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), 17, V. Kransnoselskaya, Moscow 107140, Russia
Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), 17, V. Kransnoselskaya, Moscow 107140, Russia
W&I Associates Co. Ltd., 1020-39 Kudencho, Sakae-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 247-0014, Japan
Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, National Research and Development Agency, 116 Katsurakoi, Kushiro, Hokkaido 085-0802, Japan
Japan Sea National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, National Research and Development Agency, 1-5939-22 Suido-cho, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8121, Japan
Japan Sea National Fisheries Research Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, National Research and Development Agency, 1-5939-22 Suido-cho, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8121, Japan
Laboratory of Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi 780-8520, Japan
Maizuru Fisheries Research Station, Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Nagahama, Maizuru, Kyoto 625-0086, Japan. mebaru@kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp;
Pisces New species COI Chondrichthyes Bathyraja Arctoraja Western North Pacific

Abstract

A new species of softnose skate (Arhynchobatidae), Bathyraja sexoculata Misawa, Orlov, Orlova, Gordeev and Ishihara is described on the basis of five specimens collected from off the east coast of Simushir Island, Kuril Islands, located in the western North Pacific. The specimens conformed to the genus Bathyraja by having the anteriormost pectoral-fin skeleton almost reaching the snout tip, and a slender unsegmented rostral cartilage. Within Bathyraja, the new species belongs to the subgenus Arctoraja (currently with four valid species) due to the relatively short tail (79–86% of disc width), high count of predorsal caudal vertebrae (more than 86), and large strong nuchal and scapular thorns. It is most similar to Bathyraja (Arctoraja) smirnovi, distributed in the Seas of Japan and Okhotsk, in having tail thorns not extending to the nuchal area, median thorns discontinuous from the nape to the tail, and no mid-dorsal thorns. However, B. sexoculata can be distinguished from B. smirnovi by the following characters: three pairs of white blotches on the dorsal disc surface (vs. blotches absent, or a pair of white or dark blotches in B. smirnovi), dark blotch around cloaca, dark bands along mid ventral line of tail (vs. dark blotch and band usually absent ventral disc surface in B. smirnovi), 86–93 predorsal caudal vertebrae (vs. 80–87 in B. smirnovi), and a unique mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequence. Proportional measurements, including disc width, disc length, head length, preoral length, prenarial length, internarial distance, eye diameter, and tail length, also differ between the two species. For the referential purpose, geographical variations of B. smirnovi distributed in the Seas of Japan and Okhotsk are analyzed and clarified based on morphological and genetic data. Significant morphological and genetic differences were found between local populations in the Seas of Japan and Okhotsk.

 

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