Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 4139 No. 3: 21 Jul 2016
Type: Article
Published: 2016-07-21
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4139.3.2
Page range: 345–368
Abstract views: 519
PDF downloaded: 11

A revised classification of the family Dasyatidae (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes) based on new morphological and molecular insights

CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Australian National Fish Collection, Castray Esplanade, Hobart, TAS, 7001, AUSTRALIA.
Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29401, USA. E-mail: gjpnaylor@gmail.com
Endangered Marine Species Research Unit, Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, MALAYSIA.
Pisces Dasyatidae stingrays classification group review subfamilies new genera Brevitrygon Fluvitrygon Fontitrygon Maculabatis Megatrygon Pateobatis Telatrygon resurrected genera Bathytoshia Hemitrygon Hypanus

Abstract

The higher-level taxonomy of the stingrays (Dasyatidae) has never been comprehensively reviewed. Recent phylogenetic studies, supported by morphological data, have provided evidence that the group is monophyletic and consists of four major subgroups, the subfamilies Dasyatinae, Neotrygoninae, Urogymninae and Hypolophinae. A morphologically based review of 89 currently recognised species, undertaken for a guide to the world’s rays, indicated that most of the currently recognised dasyatid genera are not monophyletic groups. These findings were supported by molecular analyses using the NADH2 gene for about 77 of these species, and this topology is supported by preliminary analyses base on whole mitochondrial genome comparisons. These molecular analyses, based on data generated from the Chondrichthyan Tree of Life project, are the most taxon-rich data available for this family. Material from all of the presently recognised genera (Dasyatis, Pteroplatytrygon and Taeniurops [Dasyatinae]; Neotrygon and Taeniura [Neotrygoninae]; Himantura and Urogymnus [Urogymninae]; and Makararaja and Pastinachus [Hypolophinae]), are included and their validity largely supported. Urogymnus and the two most species rich genera, Dasyatis and Himantura, are not considered to be monophyletic and were redefined based on external morphology. Seven new genus-level taxa are erected (Megatrygon and Telatrygon [Dasyatinae]; Brevitrygon, Fluvitrygon, Fontitrygon, Maculabatis and Pateobatis [Urogymninae], and an additional three (Bathytoshia, Hemitrygon and Hypanus [Dasyatinae]) are resurrected from the synonymy of Dasyatis. The monotypic genus Megatrygon clustered with ‘amphi-American Himantura’ outside the Dasyatidae, and instead as the sister group of the Potamotrygonidae and Urotrygonidae. Megatrygon is provisionally retained in the Dasyatinae pending further investigation of its internal anatomy. The morphologically divergent groups, Bathytoshia and Pteroplatytrygon, possibly form a single monophyletic group so further investigation is needed to confirm the validity of Pteroplatytrygon. A reclassification of the family Dasyatidae is provided and the above taxa are defined based on new morphological data.

 

References

  1. Aschliman, N.C., Nishida, M., Miya, M., Inoue, J.G., Rosana, K.M. & Naylor, G.J.P. (2012a) Body plan convergence in the evolution of skates and rays (Chondrichthyes: Batoidea). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 63, 28–42.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2011.12.012

    Aschliman N.C., Claeson, K.M. & McEachran, J.D. (2012) Phylogeny of batoidea. In: Carrier, J.C., Musick, J.A. & Heithaus, M.R. (Eds.), Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives, Second Edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 57–95.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b11867-5

    Carvalho, M.R. de (1996) Higher-level elasmobranch phylogeny, basal squaleans, and paraphyly. In: Stiassny, M.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (Eds.), Interrelationships of Fishes. Academic Press, London, pp. 35–62.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-012670950-6/50004-7

    Carvalho, M.R. de, Maisey, J.G. & Grande, L. (2004) Freshwater stingrays of the Green River Formation of Wyoming (Early Eocene), with the description of a new genus and species and an analysis of its phylogenetic relationships (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 284, 1–136.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1206/0003-0090(2004)284%3C0001:FSOTGR%3E2.0.CO;2

    Compagno, L.J.V. (1973) Interrelationships of living elasmobranchs. In: Greenwood, P.H., Miles, R.S. & Patterson, C. (Eds.), Interrelationships of Fishes. Academic Press, London, pp. 15–61.

    Compagno, L.J.V. (1977) Phyletic relationships of living sharks and rays. American Zoologist, 17, 303–322.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icb/17.2.303

    Compagno, L.J.V. & Roberts, T.R. (1982) Freshwater stingrays (Dasyatidae) of southeast Asia and New Guinea, with description of a new species of Himantura and reports of unidentified species. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 7 (4), 321–339.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00005567

    Douady, C.J., Dosay, M., Shivji, M.S & Stanhope, M.J. (2003) Molecular phylogenetic evidence refuting the hypothesis of Batoidea (rays and skates) as derived sharks. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 26, 215–221.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00333-0

    Dunn, K.A., McEachran, J.D. & Honeycutt, R.L. (2003) Molecular phylogenetics of myliobatiform fishes (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes), with comments on the effects of missing data on parsimony and likelihood. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 27, 259–270.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00442-6

    Ebert, D.A., White, W.T., Ho, H.-C., Last, P.R., Nakaya, K., Séret, B., Straube, N., Naylor, G.J.P. & Carvalho, M.R.C. de (2013) An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of Taiwan. Zootaxa, 3752 (1), 279–386.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3752.1.17

    Eschmeyer, W.N., Fricke, R. & Laan, R. van der (2016) Catalog of Fishes: genera, species, references. Electronic version. Available from: http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp (accessed 29 March 2016)

    González-Isáis, M. & Domínguez, H.M.M. (2004) Comparative anatomy of the superfamily Myliobatoidea (Chondrichthyes) with some comments on phylogeny. Journal of Morphology, 262, 517–535.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmor.10260

    Kottelat, M. (2013) The fishes of the inland waters of southeast Asia: a catalogue and core bibliography of the fishes known to occur in freshwaters, mangroves and estuaries. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 27, 1–663.

    Krefft, G. & Stehmann, M.F.W. (1973) Dasyatidae. In: Hureau, J.-C. & Monod, T. (Eds.), Check-list of the Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and of the Mediterranean. CLOFNAM. Unesco, Paris, pp. 70–73.

    Laan, R. van der, Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fricke, R. (2014) Family-group names of recent fishes. Zootaxa, 3882 (20), 1–230.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1

    Last, P.R. (1987) New Australian fishes. Part 14. Two new species of Dasyatis (Dasyatididae). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, 48, 57–61.

    Last, P.R. & Compagno, L.J.V. (1999) Dasyatidae. In: Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (Eds.), Species identification guide for fisheries purposes. The living marine resources of the western central Pacific. Batoid fishes, chimeras and bony fishes part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome, pp. 1479–1505.

    Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. (1994) Sharks and rays of Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 513 pp.

    Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. (2009) Sharks and rays of Australia, Second edition. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 656 pp.

    Last, P.R. & White, W.T. (2008) Resurrection of the genus Neotrygon Castelnau (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae) with the description of Neotrygon picta sp. nov., a new species from northern Australia. In: Last, P.R., White, W.T. & Pogonoski, J.J. (Eds.), Descriptions of New Australian Chondrichthyans. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper, 022, pp. 315–325.

    Last, P.R., Manjaji-Matsumoto, B.M., Naylor, G.J.P. & White, W.T. (2016) Stingrays – family Dasyatidae. In: Last, P.R., White, W.T., Carvalho, M.R. de, Séret, B., Stehmann M.F.W. & Naylor, G.J.P. (Eds.), Rays of the World. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. [in press]

    Last, P.R., White, W.T., Carvalho, M.R. de, Séret, B., Stehmann M.F.W. & Naylor, G.J.P. (Eds.) (2016) Rays of the World. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. [in press]

    Last, P.R., White, W.T. & Serét, B. (2016) Taxonomic status of maskrays of the Neotrygon kuhlii species complex (Myliobatoidea: Dasyatidae) with the description of three new species from the Indo-West Pacific. Zootaxa, 4083 (4), 533–561.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4083.4.5

    Lovejoy, N.R. (1996) Systematics of myliobatoid elasmobranchs: with emphasis on the phylogeny and historical biogeography of neotropical freshwater stingrays (Potamotrygonidae: Rajiformes). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 117, 207–257.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1996.tb02189.x

    Lovejoy, N.R., Birmingham, E. & Martin, A.P. (1998) Marine incursion into South America. Nature, 296, 421–422.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/24757

    Maisey, J.G. (1984) Higher elasmobranch phylogeny and biostratigraphy. Zoological Journal of the Linnaean Society, 82, 33–54.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1984.tb00534.x

    Manjaji, B.M. (2004) Taxonomy and phylogenetic systematics of the stingray genus Himantura (Family Dasyatidae). Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Tasmania. [unkown pagination]

    Manjaji-Matsumoto, B.M. & Last, P.R. (2006) Himantura lobistoma, a new whipray Rajiformes: Dasyatidae) from Borneo, with comments on the status of Dasyatis microphthalmus. Ichthyological Research, 53 (3), 290–297.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10228-006-0350-6

    McEachran, J.D. (1990) Diversity in rays: Why are there so many species? Chondros, 2 (5), 1–6.

    McEachran, J.D. & Aschliman, N. (2004) Phylogeny of Batoidea. In: Carrier, J.C., Musick, J.A. & Heithaus, M.R. (Eds.), Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 79–113.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/9780203491317.ch3

    McEachran, J.D. & Capapé, C. (1984) Dasyatidae. In: Whitehead, P.J.P., Bauchot, M.-L., Hureau, J.-C., Nielsen, J.G. & Tortonese, E. (Eds.), Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Vol. 1. UNESCO, Paris, pp. 197–202.

    McEachran, J.D., Dunn, K.A. & Miyake, T. (1996) Interrelationships of the batoid fishes (Chondrichthyes: Batoidea). In: Stiassny, M.L.J., Parenti, L.R. & Johnson, G.D. (Eds.), Interrelationships of Fishes. Academic Press, London, pp. 63–82.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-012670950-6/50005-9

    Naylor, G.J.P., Caira, J.N., Jensen, K., Rosana, K.A.M., Straube, N. & Lakner, C. (2012) Elasmobranch Phylogeny: A Mitochondrial Estimate Based on 595 Species. In: Carrier, J.C., Musick, J.A. & Heithaus, M.R. (Eds.), Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives, Second Edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 31–56.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b11867-4

    Naylor, G.J.P., Ryburn, J.A., Fedrigo, O. & Lopez, A. (2005) Phylogenetic relationships among the major lineages of modern elasmobranchs. In: Hamlett, W.C. &

    Jamieson, B.G.M. (Eds.), Reproductive Biology and Phylogeny of Chondrichthyes: Sharks, batoids, and chimaeras. Vol. 3. Science Publishers, Inc., Enfield, NH, pp. 1–25.

    Naylor, G.J.P., Yang, L., Corrigan, S. & Carvalho, M.R. de (2016) Phylogeny and Classification of Rays. In: Last, P.R., White, W.T., Carvalho, M.R. de, Séret, B., Stehmann, M.F.W. & Naylor G.J.P. (Eds.), Rays of the World. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. [in press]

    Nishida, K. (1990) Phylogeny of the suborder Myliobatoidei. Memoirs of the Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University, 37, 1–108.

    Puckridge, M., Last, P.R., White, W.T. & Andreakis, N. (2013) Phylogeography of the Indo–West Pacific maskrays (Dasyatidae, Neotrygon): a complex example of chondrichthyan radiation in the Cenozoic. Ecology and Evolution, 3, 217–232.
    http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.448

    Roberts, T.R. (2007) Makararaja chindwinensis, a new genus and species of freshwater dasyatidid pastinachine stingray from upper Myanmar. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society, 54(2), 285–293.

    Rosenberger, L.J. (2001) Pectoral fin locomotion in batoid fishes: undulation versus oscillation. Journal of Experimental Biology, 204, 379–394.