Glaucostegus typus (Anonymous [Bennett], 1830)

Giant Guitarfish

Rhinobatus typus Anonymous [Bennett], 1830: 694. Syntypes: BMNH 1852.8.30.17 (dry). Type locality: Sumatra, Indonesia (syntype); India .

Local synonymy: Rhinobatus armatus— Peters, 1877: 853 (Bougainville). Rhinobatus granulatus— Macleay, 1883a: 598 (New Guinea); Ogilby, 1888: 15 (southeastern New Guinea); Fowler, 1941: 315 (Port Moresby). Rhinobatus thouini— Macleay, 1883b: 280 (Hood Bay). Rhinobatos granulatus— Fowler, 1928: 24 (Port Moresby); Kailola, 1987: 27 (Yule Island). Rhinobatos thouiniana— Fowler, 1934: 386 (Fife Bay and Hood Bay). Rhinobatos batillum— Whitley, 1940: 168 (Fife Bay and Port Moresby); Munro, 1958: 113 (Kapa Kapa); Munro, 1967: 19, pl. 2, fig. 24 (New Guinea); Haines, 1979a: 6 (Purari Delta). Rhinobatos armatus— Filewood, 1973: 10 (PNG); Kailola, 1987: 27 (Port Romilly). Glaucosteus typus— White et al., 2018: 210, figs (PNG).

PNG voucher material: (16 spec.) KFRS E.066, female 337 mm TL, Kairuku, Yule Island, Central Province, Jun. 1965 ; KFRS E.500, juvenile male 397 mm TL, Arehara, Punari River, 20 Apr. 1975 ; KFRS E.501, juvenile male 407 mm TL, no collection data [possibly = KFRS E.417, one of two males from Western Province]; KFRS E.612, female 410 mm TL, KFRS E.613, juvenile male 410 mm TL, KFRS E.614, juvenile male 380 mm TL, Mullins Harbour, Milne Bay Province, 10°29’2” S, 149°55’40.5” E, <0.2 m depth, 11 Mar. 2016 ; KFRS E.725, juvenile male 410 mm TL, Freshwater Bay, Gulf of Papua, 8°6’57.6” S, 145°52’1.2” E, 14–17 m depth, 8 Jun. 2014 ; NMV A 18753 (3 spec.), females 361–375 mm TL, between Port Moresby and KapaKapa, Central Province, May 1881 ; USNM 40022 (3 spec.), females 280–365 mm TL, Port Moresby; USNM 218541, female 520 mm TL, USNM 218601, juvenile male 340 mm TL, west end of Parama Island, Western Province, 9°1’11” S, 143°21’36” E, 15 Dec. 1975 ; ZMB 9737, juvenile female 437 mm TL, Bougainville, [probably mid-1875, SMS Gazelle survey].

Remarks: First recorded by Peters (1877) as Rhinobatus armatus from Bougainville, presumably based on ZMB 9737, collected during an expedition on the SMS Gazelle. Commonly caught by coastal fishers in the Western and Milne Bay Provinces, and probably elsewhere. Dried fins and whole specimens observed during recent surveys.