Himantura leoparda Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2008

Leopard Whipray

Himantura leoparda Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2008: 294, Figs 1 –4. Holotype: CSIRO H 2903-01. Type locality: northwest of Weipa, Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, Australia.

Local synonymy: Himantura leoparda— Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2008: 293 (PNG); White et al., 2018: 230, figs (PNG).

PNG voucher material: (7 spec.) CSIRO H 7614-12, juvenile male 380 mm DW, south of Kerema, Gulf of Papua, 8°3’1.2” S, 145°45’7.2” E, 16–17 m depth, 20 Jun. 2014; CSIRO H 7807-02, juvenile male 420 mm DW, southwest of Kerema, Gulf of Papua, 8°2’22.2” S, 145°37’13.2” E, 15–16 m depth, 15 Jun. 2014; CSIRO H 7809- 0 1, juvenile male 400 mm DW, south of Kerema, Gulf of Papua, 8°1’53.4” S, 145°43’0.6” E, 16–18 m depth, 18 Jun. 2014; CSIRO H 7820-01, juvenile male 400 mm DW, south of Deception Bay, Gulf of Papua, 8°7’ S, 144°29’ E, 18 m depth, 1 Dec. 2014; KFRS E.643, juvenile male 450 mm DW, east of Fly River mouth, Gulf of Papua, 8°34’22” S, 144°4’31” E, 9 m depth, 1 Apr. 2015; KFRS E.722, juvenile male 400 mm DW, south of Kerema, Gulf of Papua, 8°2’9.6” S, 145°42’29.4” E, 14–15 m depth, 17 Jun. 2014; KFRS E.747, female 470 mm DW, east of Fly River mouth, Gulf of Papua, 8°36’ S, 144°1’ E, 11–15 m depth, 11 Dec. 2014.

Remarks: First listed as from PNG in Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last (2008); first confirmed record based on specimens. Common in bycatch of the Gulf of Papua prawn trawl fishery.