 |
| Hypanus rubioi Mejía-Falla, Navia, Cardeñosa & Tavera, 2025 |
Abstract
A new species of stingray belonging to the genus Hypanus is described in this study based on data collected in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) region of Colombia. This new species stands out within the genus by its unique spade-shaped disc with a width-to-length ratio ranging from 1.0 to 1.1, whereas its obtuse snout extends 29–30% of the disc width (DW). This species also stands out due to its large size (125 cm DW). Notably, it has three distinctive rows of enlarged denticles on its mid-scapular area, with the central row extending back to the caudal sting. Additionally, it possesses a long tail that measures 2.2–2.5 times the DW, tapering smoothly. Molecular data also revealed significant differences between this new species and its congeners using COI. The phylogenetic analysis recovered Hypanus rubioi, new species, as the sister species to the western Atlantic Longnose Stingray H. guttatus, with an uncorrected genetic distance of 2.27 to 2.94%. The preliminary ecological niche modeling further indicates that this newly described species is likely associated with coastal regions in the ETP, ranging from central Mexico to northern Peru, with backlight and salinity as the most influential variables. These findings contribute to our understanding of the biodiversity within the genus Hypanus and the ecological distribution of this novel species in the ETP.
 |
| Hypanus rubioi, new species |
 |
| Specimens of Hypanus rubioi, new species, caught in artisanal fishing operations in Charambirá, Colombian Pacific Ocean (courtesy of WCS Colombia, Julian Caicedo). |
Hypanus rubioi, new species
Longnose Pacific Stingray
Spanish name: Raya picuda
Etymology.—The name rubioi comes from the professor Efrain Rubio, who worked for many decades as ichthyology teacher at Universidad del Valle. Dr. Rubio was one of the first researchers interested in the fish fauna of the Colombian Pacific. During all these years at Universidad del Valle, he started the ichthyology collection (CIRUV) in addition to training many generations of young ichthyologists interested in the Pacific fishes of Colombia.
P. A. Mejía-Falla, A. F. Navia, D. Cardeñosa and J. Tavera. 2025. New Species of the Genus Hypanus (Dasyatidae) from the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean. Ichthyology & Herpetology. 113(1); 44-60. DOI: doi.org/10.1643/i2024010 (18 February 2025)
