Pateobatis, Last, Peter R., Naylor, Gavin J. P. & Manjaji-Matsumoto, B. Mabel, 2016

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 : 362

Genus Pateobatis gen. nov.

Type species Trygon uarnacoides Bleeker, 1852 ; newly proposed.

Definition. Medium-sized to large dasyatids (adults to 71–150 cm DW) characterised by the following: rather depressed to robust, suboval to rhombic disc with pectoral-fin apex narrowly to broadly rounded; snout angular to obtuse, rather short to elongate (1.7–5.5 times combined orbit and spiracle length); eye very small to small and protruding slightly; nasal curtain skirt shaped; mouth very narrow to broad, with 2–4 oral papillae (absent in P. hortlei ); tail short to very long, whip-like (length 1.1–4.1 times DW), its base typically narrow and almost circular in cross section; pelvic fins small, produced slightly or almost entirely concealed by disc; dorsal fold and ventral folds absent; caudal sting close to tail base (distance from pectoral-fin insertion to caudal-sting base 1.6–2.2 times interspiracular width); 1–3 variably developed, pearl-shaped mid-scapular thorns or thorns in row on nape; no shoulder thorns; denticle band well developed with edge typically sharply defined, skin on rest of disc naked or with patchy denticles; no row of enlarged median thorns on tail (except well developed in P. j en k i n s i i and connected with row on disc); posterior tail often with fine denticles or prickly; dorsal surface plain; ventral surface white, disc often dark edged; tail plain, not banded; marine and estuarine, Indo– West Pacific.

Etymology. Cryptic combination of the Latin pateo (lie open, be exposed) and batis (skate, ray, flatfish) alluding the eclectic nature of members of this group.

Species. P. bleekeri (Blyth 1860) , P. f a i ( Jordan & Seale, 1906), P. hortlei (Last, Manjaji-Matsumoto & Kailola, 2006) , P. jenkinsii (Annandale, 1909) , and P. uarnacoides (Bleeker, 1852) .

Remarks. Newly erected, morphologically heterogeneous genus consisting of five medium-size to very large, marine whiprays previously placed in the genus Himantura . Two widely distributed and relatively abundant species, Pateobatis fai and P. jenkinsii , have a broad rhombic disc with a short obtuse snout, whereas the other three species have a characteristic subcircular disc with a long, pointed snout. These species cluster together using mitochondrial data ( Fig. 3), but analyses using nuclear genes may provide other insights.