Giant Skate

Dipturus gigas (Ishiyama 1958) Ishiyama 1958

Dipturus gigas (Ishiyama, 1958) Type locality: off Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The single Taiwan sample of D. gigas was distinct from the other rajid species and clustered closest to a D. springeri sample (GN7382) from off South Africa (Supplementary Material 1).

A DNA sequence-based identification checklist for Taiwanese chondrichthyans

diagnosis

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.

Records of new and rare elasmobranchs from Taiwan

distribution

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

Records of new and rare elasmobranchs from Taiwan

materials_examined

Material examined. (2 specimens). EBFS 020212040301 - 1, 20.6 cm total length (TL), juvenile male, Da-xi, January 2004; EBFS 020212040301 - 2, 32.3 cm TL, juvenile female, Da-xi, March 2004.

Records of new and rare elasmobranchs from Taiwan