Neotrygon caeruleopunctata Last, White, & Séret, 2016 k

Bluespotted Maskray

Neotrygon caeruleopunctata Last, White, & Séret, 2016 k: 546, figs. 5c, 6c, 7c, 10. Holotype: MZB unreg. (ex CSIRO H 7852-03). Type locality: Kedonganan fish market, Bali, Indonesia, 08°45'S, 115°10'E.

Local synonymy: Dasyatis kuhlii: Compagno & Heemstra, 1984: 1, fig. 9; Compagno, 1986: 137, fig. 30.2, pl. 6; Compagno et al., 1989: 104, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 117. Neotrygon kuhlii: NPOA, 2013: 60; da Silva et al., 2015: 246; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 147; Weigmann, 2016: 975. Neotrygon caeruleopunctata: Last et al., 2016h: 358; Last et al., 2016i: 586, fig. 25.57; Last et al., 2016k: 546, figs. 5c, 6c, 7c, 10.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB [former RUSI] 14851, SAIAB [former RUSI] 17993, SAIAB [former RUSI] 18548.

South African distribution: Durban to northern KZN.

Remarks: First reported from South African waters by Compagno & Heemstra (1984) from off Durban (as Dasyatis kuhlii). There has been considerable resolution of the “bluespotted maskray” species-complex of the Indo-West Pacific recently, but additional species are likely to be described in the future.

Conservation status: NE.