New Caledonian stingaree
Encyclopedia
The New Caledonian stingaree (Urolophus neocaledoniensis) is a little-known species
of stingray
in the family
Urolophidae, found off New Caledonia
and the adjacent Chesterfield Islands
and Norfolk Ridge
. This species reaches 37 cm (14.6 in) long and has a rounded, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc slightly wider than long. There is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin between its nostrils. Its tail is fairly long, lacks a dorsal fin
, and ends in a leaf-shaped caudal fin; some individuals also bear slight lateral skin folds on the tail. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the New Caledonian stingaree under Least Concern
, as it faces no substantial fishery
threats.
Cybium. The first specimens were caught during research cruises undertaken in the Coral Sea
by France and Australia in the 1990s; a 40 cm (15.7 in) long male, collected from the Chesterfield Islands by the research vessel Coriolis, was designated as the holotype
. This species is closely related to the Chesterfield Island stingaree
(U. deforgesi), and also bears morphological
similarities to the mitotic stingaree (U. mitosis).
n region, the New Caledonian stingaree is found around New Caledonia itself as well as off the Chesterfield Islands
to the northwest and the northern portion of the Norfolk Ridge
to the southeast. This benthic species has been recorded from depths of 229–428 m (751.3–1,404.2 ft).
pectoral fin disc 102–115% as wide as long, with broadly rounded outer corners and strongly convex anterior margins. The snout is fleshy and broad, with a protruding tip. The eyes are of medium size and immediately followed by comma-shaped spiracle
s. Between the nostrils is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin with a subtly fringed posterior margin. The mouth is modestly sized and bears 7–10 papillae (nipple-shaped structures) on the floor, arranged in a "W". There is also a patch of small papillae on outside of the lower jaw. The teeth number 27–34 rows in the upper jaw and 24–31 rows in the lower jaw. The five pairs of gill slit
s are short. The pelvic fins are small with rounded margins; males have very thick claspers with rounded tips.
The tail is fairly long, measuring 68–79% as long as the disc, and tapers rapidly past the serrated stinging spine placed on the upper surface about halfway along its length. There is no dorsal fin
, but there may be a subtle fold of skin running along either side of the tail. The terminal leaf-shaped caudal fin is short and deep. The skin is completely smooth. This species is a uniform grayish brown to olive brown above; the underside is whitish, with a broad dusky band along the lateral and posterior disc margins. The margins of the pelvic, dorsal, and caudal fins, and the tip of the snout, are dark; this is more obvious in juveniles. The largest known specimen measured 37 cm (14.6 in) long.
at roughly 30 cm (11.8 in) long.
trawl fisheries operating within the range of the New Caledonian stingaree, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed it under Least Concern
.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of stingray
Myliobatiformes
Myliobatiformes is one of the four orders of batoids, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They were formerly included in the order Rajiformes, but more recent phylogenetic studies have shown that the myliobatiforms are a monophyletic group, and that its more derived members evolved their...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Urolophidae, found off New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
and the adjacent Chesterfield Islands
Chesterfield Islands
Chesterfield Islands is a french archipelago of New Caledonia located in the Coral Sea, 550 km northwest of Grande Terre the main island of New Caledonia. Chesterfield Islands are a 120 km long and 70 km broad structure composed with 11 islets and many reefs...
and Norfolk Ridge
Norfolk Ridge
The Norfolk Ridge is a long submarine ridge running between New Caledonia and New Zealand, about 1300 km off the east-coast of Australia. Little is known about the Norfolk Ridge; however, it generally lies about 2000 m below sea level and consists of Late Cretaceous continental crust. It is...
. This species reaches 37 cm (14.6 in) long and has a rounded, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc slightly wider than long. There is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin between its nostrils. Its tail is fairly long, lacks a dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
, and ends in a leaf-shaped caudal fin; some individuals also bear slight lateral skin folds on the tail. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the New Caledonian stingaree under Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
, as it faces no substantial fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
threats.
Taxonomy
Named for the center of its distribution, the New Caledonian stingaree was described by Bernard Séret and Peter Last in a 2003 issue of the scientific journalScientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
Cybium. The first specimens were caught during research cruises undertaken in the Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
by France and Australia in the 1990s; a 40 cm (15.7 in) long male, collected from the Chesterfield Islands by the research vessel Coriolis, was designated as the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
. This species is closely related to the Chesterfield Island stingaree
Chesterfield Island stingaree
The Chesterfield Island stingaree or Deforge's stingaree is a little-known species of stingray in the family Urolophidae, endemic to the continental slope off the Chesterfield Islands. Reaching long, it has a rounded, diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc colored plain brown above and pale below, with...
(U. deforgesi), and also bears morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
similarities to the mitotic stingaree (U. mitosis).
Distribution and habitat
The most abundant and widespread stingaree in the New CaledoniaNew Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
n region, the New Caledonian stingaree is found around New Caledonia itself as well as off the Chesterfield Islands
Chesterfield Islands
Chesterfield Islands is a french archipelago of New Caledonia located in the Coral Sea, 550 km northwest of Grande Terre the main island of New Caledonia. Chesterfield Islands are a 120 km long and 70 km broad structure composed with 11 islets and many reefs...
to the northwest and the northern portion of the Norfolk Ridge
Norfolk Ridge
The Norfolk Ridge is a long submarine ridge running between New Caledonia and New Zealand, about 1300 km off the east-coast of Australia. Little is known about the Norfolk Ridge; however, it generally lies about 2000 m below sea level and consists of Late Cretaceous continental crust. It is...
to the southeast. This benthic species has been recorded from depths of 229–428 m (751.3–1,404.2 ft).
Description
The New Caledonian stingaree has a rhomboidRhomboid
Traditionally, in two-dimensional geometry, a rhomboid is a parallelogram in which adjacent sides are of unequal lengths and angles are oblique.A parallelogram with sides of equal length is a rhombus but not a rhomboid....
pectoral fin disc 102–115% as wide as long, with broadly rounded outer corners and strongly convex anterior margins. The snout is fleshy and broad, with a protruding tip. The eyes are of medium size and immediately followed by comma-shaped spiracle
Spiracle
Spiracles are openings on the surface of some animals that usually lead to respiratory systems.-Vertebrates:The spiracle is a small hole behind each eye that opens to the mouth in some fishes. In the primitive jawless fish the first gill opening immediately behind the mouth is essentially similar...
s. Between the nostrils is a skirt-shaped curtain of skin with a subtly fringed posterior margin. The mouth is modestly sized and bears 7–10 papillae (nipple-shaped structures) on the floor, arranged in a "W". There is also a patch of small papillae on outside of the lower jaw. The teeth number 27–34 rows in the upper jaw and 24–31 rows in the lower jaw. The five pairs of gill slit
Gill slit
Gill slits are individual openings to gills, i.e., multiple gill arches, which lack a single outer cover. Such gills are characteristic of Cartilaginous fish such as sharks, rays, sawfish, and guitarfish. Most of these have five pairs, but a few species have 6 or 7 pairs...
s are short. The pelvic fins are small with rounded margins; males have very thick claspers with rounded tips.
The tail is fairly long, measuring 68–79% as long as the disc, and tapers rapidly past the serrated stinging spine placed on the upper surface about halfway along its length. There is no dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
, but there may be a subtle fold of skin running along either side of the tail. The terminal leaf-shaped caudal fin is short and deep. The skin is completely smooth. This species is a uniform grayish brown to olive brown above; the underside is whitish, with a broad dusky band along the lateral and posterior disc margins. The margins of the pelvic, dorsal, and caudal fins, and the tip of the snout, are dark; this is more obvious in juveniles. The largest known specimen measured 37 cm (14.6 in) long.
Biology and ecology
Little is known of the New Caledonian stingaree's natural history. It is presumed to be aplacental viviparous, bearing small litters, like other members of its family. Newborns measure roughly 13 cm (5.1 in) long; males attain sexual maturitySexual maturity
Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct...
at roughly 30 cm (11.8 in) long.
Human interactions
Because there are no commercialCommercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
trawl fisheries operating within the range of the New Caledonian stingaree, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed it under Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
.