Dasyatinae

Last, Peter R., Naylor, Gavin J. P. & Manjaji-Matsumoto, B. Mabel, 2016, A revised classification of the family Dasyatidae (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatiformes) based on new morphological and molecular insights, Zootaxa 4139 (3), pp. 345-368 : 353-354

Subfamily Dasyatinae

Dasybatidae Jordan & Gilbert, 1879:386 (corrected to Dasyatidae by Jordan, 1888:22; proposed herein as a subgenus of Dasyatis ); type genus Dasyatis Rafinesque, 1810 , by original designation.

Definition. Morphologically variable subfamily with no unique character states; disc circular, flattened coneshaped but mostly rhombic; snout short to long; tail variably depressed, short and firm to long and whip-like; oral papillae 1–7 or absent; dorsal tail fold developed or reduced to a fleshy ridge or absent; denticle band absent (typically weak if present), no tail thorns in most species, and usually plain dorsal surface coloration with dark posterior tail. All members with a short to long-based ventral tail fold that can be poorly developed to deep, and caudal sting relatively well forward on tail (distance from pectoral-fin insertion to caudal-sting base 2–3 times interspiracular width).

Genera. Bathytoshia , Dasyatis , Hemitrygon , Hypanus, Megatrygon , Pteroplatytrygon , Taeniurops and Telatrygon .

Remarks. The group contains eight genera of which three are resurrected ( Bathytoshia , Hemitrygon and Hypanus ) and two are new ( Megatrygon and Telatrygon ). Several nomenclatural issues need to be discussed that relate specifically to each of the genera. Species are treated in more detail in an identification guide to rays of the world (Last et al. in press) and other review papers in preparation, but synonymies are discussed briefly in Remarks sections for each genus.