Dipturus melanospilus (lat.) Is a species of cartilaginous fish of the rhombic family of rays of the order of stingrays. They live in the southwestern and centralwestern parts of the Pacific Ocean . They are found at a depth of up to 925 m. Their large, flattened pectoral fins form a rhombic disk with an elongated and pointed snout. The maximum recorded length is 77.7 cm. Eggs are laid. They are not the target fishing target [1] [2] [3] .
| Dipturus melanospilus |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| View: | Dipturus melanospilus |
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Dipturus melanospilus Last , WT White & Pogonoski , 2008 |
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Not enough data IUCN Data Deficient : 195450 |
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The species was first scientifically described in 2008 [4] . The holotype is an adult male 66.9 cm long, caught off the coast of Queensland ( ) at a depth of 445-450 m. Paratypes: females 20 , 4-60.7 cm, immature males 23.3-34.3 cm long and adult males 63-77.7 cm long, caught there at a depth of 239-695 m, as well as females 23.6-51 long, 5 cm, caught in the waters of New South Wales at a depth of 485–925 m [5] . The species epithet comes from the words Greek. μελανό - “black” and other Greek σπίλος - “spot”.
These stingrays are endemic to the waters of Queensland , Australia . They are found in the upper part of the continental slope at a depth of 239 to 606 m. Mostly between 300 and 925 m [4] [5] .
The wide and flat pectoral fins of these rays form a rhombic disk with a rounded snout and rounded edges. On the ventral side of the disc are 5 gill slits, nostrils and mouth. On the long tail there are lateral folds. These skates have 2 reduced dorsal fins and a reduced caudal fin [1] .
The width of the disk is 1.3-1.4 times the length. The elongated and pointed snout forms an angle of 72–82 °. The length of the tail is 0.8-0.9 distance from the tip of the snout to the cloaca. The tail is thin, rounded across. The width of the tail in the middle part is 1.3–1.7 of its height and 1.4–1.9 at the base of the first dorsal fin. The distance from the tip of the snout to the upper jaw is 17–23% of the body length and is 2.3–2.8 times greater than the distance between the nostrils. The length of the head along the ventral side is 32–36% of the body length. The length of the snout is 4.2–5.6 times greater, and the diameter of the eye is 73–97% of the interorbital space. The height of the first dorsal fin is 1.7–2.3 times the length of its base. The distance between the beginning of the base of the first dorsal fin and the tip of the tail is 3.2-3.8 times greater than the length of its base and 2.7-3.5 times the length of the caudal fin. The ventral fins are small. In sexually mature males, the length of the hind lobe is 15–16%, and the length of the claspers is 23–25% of the body length; the length of the anterior lobe is 67–71% of the length of the hind lobe. The front edge of adult males is covered with a narrow spiny strip. Malar and occipital spines absent. In males and females, the tail is covered with a single row of thorns. The pectoral fins are formed by 92–98 rays. The number of vertebrae is 136-140. On the upper jaw there are 32-37 dentitions. The disk is even taupe. Sensitive pores located on the ventral side of the disc with dark edges are clearly visible on the snout. The maximum recorded length is 77.7 cm [4] .
Like other rhombic, these stingrays lay eggs enclosed in a rigid horn capsule with protrusions at the ends. Embryos feed exclusively on yolk [3] . Males reach puberty with a length of 63 cm. [2] .
These skates are not subject to targeted fishing. Deep sea fishing in the range is negligible. The data for the assessment of the conservation status of the species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature are insufficient [2] .
- ↑ 1 2 Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. Family Rajidae - Skates (Neopr.) . FishBase
- ↑ 1 2 3 Dipturus melanospilus (English) . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .
- ↑ 1 2 Dipturus melanospilus (English) in the FishBase database.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Last P., White WT & Pogonoski JJ New skates of the genus Dipturus (Rajoidei: Rajidae) from Australian Seas // CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper. - 2008 .-- Vol. 21. - P. 9-52.
- ↑ 1 2 Dipturus melanospilus (neopr.) . Shark-References. Date of treatment May 26, 2016.
