A new species of electric ray of the genus Narcine Henle, 1834 from the South-Western Indian Ocean (Chondrichthyes: Torpediniformes: Narcinidae)

Abstract

A new species of electric ray of the genus Narcine Henle, 1834 is described from seven specimens collected from two localities off the western coast of Madagascar, in the Mocambique Channel. Narcine insolita, sp. nov. is distinguished from all other species of the genus by the unique presence of a very prominent first dorsal fin that is much greater than the second dorsal fin in both height and length of base. A unique combination of characters further distinguishes N. insolita, including large and bulging eyes, large circular spiracles with elevated rims, interorbital distance much greater than interspiracular distance, rounded cusplets lateral to principal cusp on teeth of inner tooth rows, broadly rounded tooth bands, dorsal colouration composed of a yellowish brown background with large dark brown to reddish brown blotches at disc margins and over dorsal and caudal fins, and numbers of precaudal and total vertebral centra. N. insolita is similar but distinct from the recently described Narcine oculife...