Corrigan's Catshark

discussion

Remarks: First recorded from PNG by Fricke et al. (2014) as Galeus gracilis Compagno & Stevens, 1993 based on NTUM 10171; described as a new species by White et al. (2016 a). Morphologically similar to Galeus priapus Séret & Last, 2008 from New Caledonia but differs in several characters and at a molecular level (see Fig. 4 in White et al., 2016 a). Endemic to PNG.

An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of Papua New Guinea

materials_examined

PNG voucher material: (7 spec.) ASIZ P 0080738 (paratype), 2 specimens, female 278 mm TL and juvenile male 247 mm TL, off Madang, 05 ° 01.270 ' S, 145 ° 50.210 ' E, 502 – 529 m depth, 2 Oct. 2010; NTUM 10171 (holotype), adolescent male 306 mm TL, west of Sek Island, Madang, 05 ° 04 ' S, 145 ° 51 ' E, 582 – 587 m depth, 28 Nov. 2012; NTUM 10321 (paratype), adolescent male 282 mm TL, north of Taviltae, Madang Province, 04 ° 30 ' S, 145 ° 34 ' E, 600 – 660 m depth, 17 Dec. 2012; NTUM 10322 (paratype), juvenile male 203 mm TL, north of Taviltae, Madang Province, 04 ° 29 ' S, 145 ° 31 ' E, 500 – 510 m depth, 17 Dec. 2012; NTUM 11492 (paratype), adolescent male 372 mm TL, southeast of Murien, West New Britain, 06 ° 10 ' S, 149 ° 18 ' E, 510 – 743 m depth, 7 May 2014; NTUM 11493 (paratype), juvenile male 271 mm TL, south of Murien, West New Britain, 06 ° 08 ' S, 149 ° 10 ' E, 430 – 620 m depth, 6 May 2014.

An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of Papua New Guinea

description

(Figs 1 – 4, Table 1) Galeus gracilis — Fricke et al., 2014: 12 (Madang, based on NTUM 10171)

Galeus corriganae sp. nov., a new species of deepwater catshark (Carcharhiniformes: Pentanchidae) from Papua New Guinea

description

Comparisons. Comparisons of the new species with its congeners is restricted to the two most similar species, G. priapus and G. gracilis, which are also the two closest congeners from a geographical sense. Galeus corriganae sp. nov. is almost identical in appearance to Galeus priapus from New Caledonia but differs from this species in the following characters: broader head (head width 10.4 – 13.2 vs. 8.3 – 9.9 % TL in G. priapus; interorbital width 7.2 – 7.8 vs. 6.0 – 7.0 % TL), larger eyes (orbit length 4.0 – 4.6 vs. 2.6 – 3.5 % TL), longer upper labial furrows (2.2 – 2.9 vs. 1.4 – 2.1 % TL), slightly larger nostrils (nostril width 25 – 3.0 vs. 2.2 – 2.3 % TL), pelvic and anal fins further apart (pelvic – anal space 12.2 – 13.0 vs. 10.0 – 11.7 % TL), shorter pelvic-fin base (base length 6.3 – 7.2 vs. 7.6 – 9.3 % TL) and longer pelvic-fin inner margin (4.2 – 4.7 vs. 2.8 – 4.2 % TL), shorter anal-fin inner margin (2.0 – 2.5 vs. 1.3 – 1.9 % TL) Galeus corriganae sp. nov. is also similar to Galeus gracilis from northwestern Australia but differs in the following characters: more vertebrae (monospondylous centra 38 – 39 vs. 33 – 36 in G. gracilis; precaudal centra 83 – 86 vs. 74 – 78;

Galeus corriganae sp. nov., a new species of deepwater catshark (Carcharhiniformes: Pentanchidae) from Papua New Guinea