Spinilophus
| New Ireland stingaree | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Myliobatiformes |
| Family: | Urolophidae |
| Genus: | Spinilophus |
| Species: | S. armatus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Spinilophus armatus (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1841) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Urolophus armatus |
|
Urolophus armatus
The New Ireland stingaree or black-spotted stingaree (Spinilophus armatus) is a species of stingray in the family Urolophidae, known only from a single juvenile male 17.4 cm (6.9 in) long, collected in the Bismarck Archipelago. This species has an oval pectoral fin disc with tiny eyes and a rectangular curtain of skin between the nostrils. Its tail is fairly long and terminates in a leaf-shaped caudal fin, and lacks a dorsal fin. Uniquely among stingarees, it has rows of sharp spinules on the posterior portion of its back and the base of its tail. Its dorsal coloration is brown with dark spots. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this ray as Data Deficient, pending more information.
The only known specimen of the New Ireland stingaree is a juvenile male collected by René Primevère Lesson and Prosper Garnot, during the 1822–25 expedition of the French frigate La Coquille. It was first referenced as Urolophus armatus by Achille Valenciennes, and furnished with a description by Johannes Müller and Jakob Henle (who are thus considered the species authorities) in their 1838–41 Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen. Its specific epithet means "armed" in Latin, referring to its denticles.
The sole specimen was collected off the island of New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago, northeast of Papua New Guinea, though the depth and habitat was not recorded. No other specimens have been found since, suggesting that it occurs only in a very restricted geographic and depth range.
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