NEWSLETTER 09/2020 02.09.2020

NEW PARTNERS OF SHARK-REFERENCES

M. Zahirul Islam: 
Interests in Chondrichthyans or short introduction to your research
 
I have long term interest on sharks and rays. I first observed whale shark in 1997 and observed slaughtering of this magnificent animal and since then monitoring whale shark bycatch and movement in the country marine water. In my life rescued 6 whale sharks from fishermen before killing. I am very much interested in shark diversity in our country and in the region, their habitat and behavior, movement and migration. I am continuously monitoring shark catch in my area cox Bazar. I am currently working on whale shark project with Rufford Foundation support. We are continuously motivating fishermen for not catching sharks through our marine megafauna’ bycatch reduction program.

Would you like to become a shark-reference partner? Please contanct us per E-mail!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Images

Missing papers:

Many thanks to all friends of shark-references, who sent us some missing papers last month!

Shark-References would kindly like to ask you for your contribution to this project.

At the moment we are looking for some of the following papers:


Extinct Chondrichthyes:
NEWTON, E.T.  (1878) The chimeroid fishes of the British Cretaceous rocks. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom, Monograph, 4: 1–64

MATSUMOTO, H. (1936) Upper Miocene vertebrates from Kumanodô, Natori district, province of Rikuzen. Dobutsugaku Zasshi, 48: 475–480, 5 fig.

ALVINERIE, J. & ANDREIEFF, P. & ANGLADA, R. & AUBERT, J. & CAPPETTA, H. & CARALP, M. & CARATINI, C. & CARBONNEL, G. & CATZIGRAS, F. & COURME-RAULT, M.-D. & CHATEAUNEUF, J.-J. & DEMARCQ, G. & DUCASSE, O. & FATTON, E. & GLAÇON, G. & LABRACHERIE, M. & LAURIAT, A. & LE CALVEZ, Y. & LORENZ, C. & MAGNE, J. & MARGEREL, J.-P. & POIGNANT, A. & PUJOL, C. & ROGER, J. & ROMAN, J. & BLONDEAU, A. & MULLER, C. (1973) A propos de la limite oligo-miocène: résultats préliminaires d'une recherche collective sur les gisements d'Escornébéou (Saint-Géours-de-Maremne, Landes, Aquitaine méridionale). Présence de Globigerinoides dans les faunes de l'Oligocène supérieur. Comptes rendus sommaires des séances de la Société géologique de France: 75–76

BOYD, B.M. (2016) Fossil sharks and rays of Gainesville creeks; Alachua County, Florida: Hogtown group; (middle Miocene to lower Pliocene). Florida Paleontological Society, Special Publication


Extant Chondrichthyes:

KAMOHARA, T. (1943) Some unrecorded and two new fishes from Prov. Tosa, Japan. Bulletin of the Biogeographical Society of Japan, 13 (17): 125–137

DE BUEN, F. (1950) Contribuciones a la Ictiología. II. El tiburón vitamínico de la costa uruguaya Galeorhinus vitaminicus nov. sp., y algunas consideraciones generales sobre su biología. Publicaciones Cientificas, Servicio Oceanografico y de Pesca, Ministerio de Industrias y Trabajo, Montevideo No. 4: 153–162.

CADENAT, J. (1951) Initiations Africaines. III. Poissons de Mer du Sénégal. Institute Francais d'Afrique Noire. Initiations Africaines. III. Poissons de Mer du Sénégal.: 1–345

WEIBEZAHN, F.H. (1953) Una nueva especie de Scyliorhinus de Venezuela (Chondrichthyes - Elasmobranchii). Novedades cientificas. Serie zoológica. Museo de Historia Natural La Salle, 9: 1–7.

SMITH, J.L.B. (1958) The mystery killer, the new shark Carcharhinus vanrooyeni. Veld & Vlei, 3 (9): 12–14, 28.

SICCARDI, E. (1961) Cetorhinus en el Atlantico sur (Elasmobranchii: Cetorhinidae). Actas y trabajos del Primer Congreso Sudamericano de Zoologia, 4 (5): 251–263

GUBANOV, E.P. & SCHLEIB, N.A. (1980) Sharks of the Arabian Gulf. Kuwait Ministry of Public Works, Agracultural Department, Fisheries Division. Sharks of the Arabian Gulf.: 1–69

DOLGANOV, V.N. (1983) Rukovodstvo po opredeleniyu khryashchevykh ryb dal'nevostochnykh morei SSSR i sopredel'nykh vod. [Manual for identification of cartilaginous fishes of Far East seas of USSR and adjacent waters.] TINRO, Vladivostok. Rukovodstvo po opredeleniyu khryashchevykh ryb dal'nevostochnykh morei SSSR i sopredel'nykh vod.: 92 pp.



Please support www.shark-references.com and send missing papers (not listed papers or papers without the info-symbol) to juergen.pollerspoeck@shark-references.com or nicolas.straube@shark-references.com

Upcoming Meetings:

The 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Elasmobranch Association will be held by the Dutch member group Nederlandse Elasmobranchen Vereniging (NEV) in Leiden, the Netherlands between 28^th and 30^th October, 2020. The venue is the fascinating Naturalis Biodiversity Center.

Looking forward to seeing you in Leiden!

Important notice

Due to Dutch government measures in response to the Covid19 pandemic, all restaurants, hotels, sights, and attractions in the Netherlands are currently closed. All social gatherings are banned until June 1st, 2020. At this time, we assume that gatherings will be possible by October, and therefore we are going ahead with organizing the conference. Tickets to the conference can be purchased without risk. In case of cancellation due to Covid19 measures, all tickets will be reimbursed in full. In case of personal cancellation, a service fee of approx. 5 Euros will apply.

HSU, H.-H. & LIN, C.-Y. & JOUNG, S.-J. (2020): Somniosus (Rhinoscymnus) cheni sp. nov., A New Species of Sleeper Shark (Squaliformes: Somniosidae) from Eastern Taiwan, with Aspects of Embryo Biology. Zoological Studies, 59: in press
New species: Somniosus (Rhinoscymnus) cheni
Abstract: A new species of sleeper shark is described on the basis of a 134.0 cm total length pregnant female collected from off Hualien, eastern Taiwan. The species belongs to the small species group (subgenus Rhinoscymnus) and can be distinguished from its congeners in having a smaller second dorsal fin, smaller eyes, more tooth rows in the upper jaw, less in the lower jaw, and different body proportion. Moreover, the specimens has 33 embryos which is clearly more than the two other small species in the subgenus. Information of embryo biology are provided as well.


Extinct Chondrichthyes:


ADNET, S. & MARIVAUX, L. & CAPPETTA, H. & CHARRUAULT, A.-L. & ESSID, E.M. & JIQUEL, S. & AMMAR, H.K. & MARANDAT, B. & MARZOUGUI, W. & MERZERAUD, G. & TEMANI, R. & VIANEY-LIAUD, M. & TABUCE, R. (2020): Diversity and renewal of tropical elasmobranchs around the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) in North Africa: New data from the lagoonal deposits of Djebel el Kébar, Central Tunisia. Palaeontologica Electronica, 23 (2): a38
New genus: Pachygymnura
New species: Carcharhinus kasserinensis, Sphyrna guinoti, Leptocharias tunisiensis, Stegostoma tethysiensis, Ouledia lacuna, Mecotrygon asperodentulus, Himantura souarfortuna, Coupatezia cristata, Amamriabatis heni
Abstract: Bulk sampling of an indurated glauconic sandstone horizon from Djebel el Kébar, Central Tunisia, yielded a moderately diversified assemblage of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), dating from the late Middle Eocene (mid Bartonian). Here, 10 new taxa (nine new species and three new genera) are described among a total diversity of 33 species. These new taxa highlight the rise of mid-large predator lineages of modern nearshore seas and fill a substantial gap in the sporadic fossil record of the late Middle Eocene. Comparisons of this assemblage with other Middle-Late Eocene faunas from the Tethys seaway indicate that this Tunisian fauna shares more similarities with Late Eocene than with early Middle Eocene assemblages. This suggests that the major shift observed in tropical elasmobranch communities from the Late Eocene, with for instance the appearance of large Carcharhinids replacing Lamniforms, began during the late Middle Eocene. Such a biotic shift could be linked to the warm conditions recorded ca. 41 Ma, known as the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO), which was characterized by a short temperature increase of all marine waters.
 
IVANOV, A.O. & NESTELL, M.K. & NESTELL, G.P. & BELL, G.L. (2020): New fish assemblages from the Middle Permian from the Guadalupe Mountains, West Texas, USA. Palaeoworld, 29 (2): 239-256
New genus: Lamarodus
New species: Lamarodus triangulus
Abstract: Two species of a new genus of Rhinebothriidea have been collected from species of Psammobatis Günther along the coast of Argentina. Semiorbiseptum gen. nov. is considered a rhinebothriidean for the presence of facially loculated bothridia borne on stalks and cirrus covered with spinitriches. The genus is unique in the arrangement of loculi and septa on the distal bothridial surface, including semicircular septa in the middle region. Despite the anterior-posterior orientation of bothridia, Semiorbiseptum gen. nov. fits well in the description of the family Rhinebothriidae by lacking a myzorhynchus at the adult stage and postvaginal testes, and by having vitelline follicles that are not interrupted at the level of the ovary. The two new species differ from each other in the number of facial bothridial loculi and in the microthrix pattern on the proximal bothridial surface. Unlike the majority of rhinebothrideans in the marine environment, which show high specificity for their definitive host, Semiorbiseptum mariae sp. nov. was found in two species of Psammobatis, the smallthorn sand skate Psammobatis rudis Günther and shortfin sand skate Psammobatis normani McEachran. These species have a sympatric distribution, similar to the hosts of most rhinebothrideans that parasitize more than one host. On the contrary, Semiorbiseptum alfredoi sp. nov. was found only in P. normani. This study shows that some of the characters previously proposed as possible synapomorphies for the order have interspecific variability or can be equivocally interpreted (e.g. the entrance of the vas deferens into the cirrus sac, bothridial stalk shape).

Parasites:

FRANZESE, S. & IVANOV, V.A. (2020): A new genus of Rhinebothriidea from species of Psammobatis (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae) off Argentina. Zootaxa, 4803 (2): 355-372
New genus: Semiorbiseptum
New species: Semiorbiseptum mariae Semiorbiseptum alfredoi
Abstract: Two species of a new genus of Rhinebothriidea have been collected from species of Psammobatis Günther along the coast of Argentina. Semiorbiseptum gen. nov. is considered a rhinebothriidean for the presence of facially loculated bothridia borne on stalks and cirrus covered with spinitriches. The genus is unique in the arrangement of loculi and septa on the distal bothridial surface, including semicircular septa in the middle region. Despite the anterior-posterior orientation of bothridia, Semiorbiseptum gen. nov. fits well in the description of the family Rhinebothriidae by lacking a myzorhynchus at the adult stage and postvaginal testes, and by having vitelline follicles that are not interrupted at the level of the ovary. The two new species differ from each other in the number of facial bothridial loculi and in the microthrix pattern on the proximal bothridial surface. Unlike the majority of rhinebothrideans in the marine environment, which show high specificity for their definitive host, Semiorbiseptum mariae sp. nov. was found in two species of Psammobatis, the smallthorn sand skate Psammobatis rudis Günther and shortfin sand skate Psammobatis normani McEachran. These species have a sympatric distribution, similar to the hosts of most rhinebothrideans that parasitize more than one host. On the contrary, Semiorbiseptum alfredoi sp. nov. was found only in P. normani. This study shows that some of the characters previously proposed as possible synapomorphies for the order have interspecific variability or can be equivocally interpreted (e.g. the entrance of the vas deferens into the cirrus sac, bothridial stalk shape).


FRANZESE, S. & IVANOV, V.A. (2020): Two new species of Acanthobothrium Blanchard, 1848 (Cestoda: Onchoproteocephalidea) from rajiform batoids off Argentina. Folia Parasitologica, 67: 16
New species: Acanthobothrium carolinae Acanthobothrium domingae
Abstract: Two new species of Acanthobothrium Blanchard, 1848 were collected from rajiform batoids along the coast of Argentina. They are Acanthobothrium carolinae sp. n. from Bathyraja magellanica (Philippi) and Acanthobothrium domingae sp. n. from Dipturus brevicaudatus (Marini). Both belong to category 1 and 2 because their total length is lower than 15 mm, they have fewer than 50 proglottids, fewer than 80 testes and a symmetric or asymmetric ovary. Acanthobothrium carolinae sp. n. differs from all congeners by the following combination of features: proglottid apolysis, hook morphology, microthrix pattern on the cephalic peduncle and distribution of the vitelline follicles. Acanthobothrium domingae sp. n. is unique in the combination of proglottid apolysis, total length, number of proglottids, hook and septal morphology, microthrix pattern on the cephalic peduncle, number and distribution of testes, cirrus sac length, distribution of the vitelline follicles and genital pore position. The discovery of these species increases the number of species of Acanthobothrium parasitising rajiform batoids off Argentina from one to three. All three species have a unique pattern of distribution of the gladiate spinitriches along the length of the cephalic peduncle, i.e., gladiate spinitriches being interrupted in a medial line both dorsally and ventrally.


RUHNKE, T.R. & DANIEL, V. & JENSEN, K. (2020): Four New Species of Paraorygmatobothrium (Eucestoda: Phyllobothriidea) from Sharks of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, with Comments on Their Host Specificity. Journal of Parasitology, 106 (1): 133-156
New species: Paraorygmatobothrium bullardi, Paraorygmatobothrium campbell,i Paraorygmatobothrium deburonae, Paraorygmatobothrium mattisi
Abstract: Four new species of Paraorygmatobothrium are described from carcharhinid shark species from the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. coast of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Paraorygmatobothrium bullardi n. sp. is described from Carcharhinus brevipinna as its type host, and from Carcharhinus acronotus and Carcharhinus limbatus. Paraorygmatobothrium campbelli n. sp. is described from Rhizoprionodon terraenovae. Paraorygmatobothrium deburonae n. sp. is described from Carcharhinus isodon as its type host, as well as from C. brevipinna, C. limbatus, and R. terraenovae. Paraorygmatobothrium mattisi n. sp. is described from R. terraenovae as its type host, and from C. brevipinna and C. limbatus. These 4 species differ from other species of Paraorygmatobothrium and from each other in bothridial microthrix shape, and in various combinations of features such as the total length of the worm, apical sucker size, bothridial musculature, proglottid number, testes number, and genital pore position. Difficulty in differentiating these 4 species from one another, and from other species of Paraorygmatobothrium, points to limitations in the use of morphology alone to recognize species diversity in this genus. A phylogenetic analysis of Paraorygmatobothrium and related genera, based on partial (D1–D3) 28S rDNA sequence data, confirms that the genus is not monophyletic. Genetic distances of COI revealed that sequence divergence between species of Paraorygmatobothrium is generally at least an order of magnitude larger than COI divergence within a species. Patterns of host use for 3 of the new species are consistent with previous findings that point to a lack of host specificity in Paraorygmatobothrium.

PLEASE send your new papers to
juergen.pollerspoeck@shark-references.com or 
nicolas.straube@shark-references.com   

Latest Research Articles

ADNET, S. & MARIVAUX, L. & CAPPETTA, H. & CHARRUAULT, A.-L. & ESSID, E.M. & JIQUEL, S. & AMMAR, H.K. & MARANDAT, B. & MARZOUGUI, W. & MERZERAUD, G. & TEMANI, R. & VIANEY-LIAUD, M. & TABUCE, R. (2020) Diversity and renewal of tropical elasmobranchs around the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) in North Africa: New data from the lagoonal deposits of Djebel el Kébar, Central Tunisia. Palaeontologica Electronica, 23 (2): a38 https://dx.doi.org/10.26879/1085
BOTELLA, H. & OLIVE, S. & PRADEL, A. & RODRIGUEZ-CHARRY, G. & COLMENARES, F. & ROMAN-GARCIA, L. & MANZANARES, E. & PAREDES-ALIAGA, M.V. & NAVAS-PAREJO, P. & MARTINEZ-PEREZ, C. (2020) First occurrence of fossil vertebrates from the Carboniferous of Colombia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, in press https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2020.1764967
CHARPENTIER, V. & ADNET, S. & CAPPETTA, H. (2020) The tooth of a giant sea creature Otodus (Megaselachus) in the material culture of Neolithic maritime hunter‐gatherers at Sharbithat (Sultanate of Oman). International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, in press https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/oa.2914
CICIMURRI, D.J. & EBERSOLE, J.A. (2020) First occurrence of a partial dentition of Rhombodus binkhorsti (Batomorphi: Rhombodontidae) in the Americas, with comments on the North American distribution of the species. Paludicola, 13 (1): 52-66
FIALHO, P.R. & BALBINO, A.C. & LEGOINHA, P. & ANTUNES, M.T. (2020) Shark fossil diversity (Squalomorphii, Squatinomorphii, and Galeomorphii) from the Langhian of Brielas (Lower Tagus Basin, Portugal). Geological Journal, in pess https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/gj.3965
IVANOV, A.O. & NESTELL, M.K. & NESTELL, G.P. & BELL, G.L. (2020) New fish assemblages from the Middle Permian from the Guadalupe Mountains, West Texas, USA. Palaeoworld, 29 (2): 239-256 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2018.10.003
KUMAR, K. & PANDEY, P. & BAJPAI, S. & BHATTACHARYA, D. & PANDEY, B. (2020) Middle Eocene (Bartonian) vertebrate fauna from Bandah Formation, Jaisalmer Basin, Rajasthan, Western India. Historical Biology, in press  https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1776708
SERAFINI, G. & AMALFITANO, J. & COBIANCHI, M. & FORNACIARI, B. & MAXWELL, E.E. & PAPAZZONI, C.A. & ROGHI, G. & GIUSBERTI, L.  (2020) Evidence of opportunistic feeding between ichthyosaurs and the oldest occurrence of the hexanchid shark Notidanodon from the Upper Jurassic of northern Italy. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, 126 (3): 629-655  https://dx.doi.org/10.13130/2039-4942/14078
SKINNER, M. & WHITESIDE, D.I. & BENTON, M.J. (2020) Late Triassic island dwarfs? Terrestrial tetrapods of the Ruthin fissure (South Wales, UK) including a new genus of procolophonid. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, in press https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2020.04.005
VASKANINOVA, V. & CHEN, D.L. & TAFFOREAU, P. & JOHANSON, Z. & EKRT, B. & BLOM, H. & AHLBERG, P.E. (2020) Marginal dentition and multiple dermal jawbones as the ancestral condition of jawed vertebrates. Science, 369 (6500): 211-216 https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz9431
VOLDMAN, G.G. & CHACON, M.L.M. & DUFFIN, C.J. & FERNANDEZ, L.P. & ALONSO, J.L. (2020) Pennsylvanian brachiopod, fish and conodont faunas from the Caliza Masiva (San Emiliano Formation) at the Mina Profunda area, Cantabrian Zone, NW Spain. Geobios, 59: 91-106  https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geobios.2020.03.004

     

MISCELLANEOUS:

Between shark and ray: The evolutionary advantage of the sea angels

Threatened with extinction despite perfect adaptation

Date: August 4, 2020

Source: University of Vienna

Summary: Angel sharks are sharks, but with their peculiarly flat body they rather resemble rays. An international research team has now investigated the origin of this body shape. The results illustrate how these sharks evolved into highly specialized, exclusively bottom-dwelling ambush predators and thus also contribute to a better understanding of their threat from environmental changes.

full story