Dipturus gigas (Ishiyama, 1958)

Hsu, Hua Hsun, Joung, Shoou Jeng, Ebert, David A. & Lin, Chia Yen, 2013, Records of new and rare elasmobranchs from Taiwan, Zootaxa 3752 (1), pp. 249-255 : 253

Dipturus gigas (Ishiyama, 1958)

Giant skate

( Figure 6 )

Dipturus gigas Ishiyama, 1958 (J. Shimonoseki Coll. Fisher., 7: 386 figs. 84, 86; type locality: Aichi, Japan).

Material examined. (2 specimens). EBFS020212040301-1, 20.6 cm total length (TL), juvenile male, Da-xi, January 2004; EBFS020212040301-2, 32.3 cm TL, juvenile female, Da-xi, March 2004.

Diagnosis. Snout with well-defined, firm rostral cartilage; disc somewhat angular; snout medium to elongate, distinctly angular anteriorly; rostral cartilage long, mostly exceeding 60% dorsal head length; adult clasper lacking a projecting distal cartilage. In adults, snout long; its length more than 1/2 the distance from snout tip to fifth gill opening. Tail short; disc width more than 1.5 times tail length. Pelvic anterior lobe long, reaching beyond middle of posterior lobe. Both sides of disc and tail uniformly dark purplish-brown or grayish-brown.

Distribution. South China Sea, Taiwan, East China Sea to Japan waters in 300–1000 m deep.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Specimen of giant skate Dipturus gigas, female, 32.3 cm TL, EBFS 020212040301 - 2, Da-xi, March 2004.