Redescription and sexual dimorphism of Andaman leg‐skate Cruriraja andamanica (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes) with comments on the zoogeography of the genus Cruriraja

This paper redescribes sexually dimorphic Cruriraja andamanica based on five juvenile (four males, one female) and four adult specimens (three males, one female) collected from Andaman waters. Morphometric comparison of the present specimens with a female specimen collected off the coast of Tanzania...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fish biology 2017-08, Vol.91 (2), p.587-602
Main Authors: Vinu, J., Rajeeshkumar, M. P., Parmeswaran, U. V., Sumod, K. S., Akhilesh, K. V., Manjebrayakath, H., Sanjeevan, V. N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biogeography
Coastal environments
Cruriraja andamanica
Distribution records
Ecosystem
Female
Females
Identification keys
leg‐skates
Male
Males
Marine fishes
Morphometry
New species
Oceans
Phylogeography
Probability theory
redescription
Sex Characteristics
Sexual dimorphism
Skates (Fish) - anatomy & histology
Skates (Fish) - classification
Species Specificity
Tanzania
Zoogeography
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Summary:This paper redescribes sexually dimorphic Cruriraja andamanica based on five juvenile (four males, one female) and four adult specimens (three males, one female) collected from Andaman waters. Morphometric comparison of the present specimens with a female specimen collected off the coast of Tanzania reveals considerable dissimilarities between them. These findings, along with the wide geographical distance between collection locations, support a need for revision of the Tanzanian specimen, which, in all probability, represents a new species in the genus. The paper also addresses zoogeography of genus Cruriraja across the world's oceans and provides a revised key to the species.
ISSN:0022-1112
1095-8649
DOI:10.1111/jfb.13371