Rhinobatos austini Ebert & Gon, 2017
Austin’s guitarfish

Family:  Rhinobatidae (Guitarfishes)
Max. size:  115 cm TL (female)
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; marine
Distribution:  Western Indian Ocean: from southern KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa to north of Bazaruto Island, central Mozambique.
Diagnosis:  This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: no prominent thorns or tubercles on dorsal surface; distinct colour pattern of paired spots of differing sizes, some forming darker transverse bands across its back; ventral surface colour mostly white, without distinctive patterning except for a prominent teardrop-shaped black blotch extending posteriorly from rostral tip to about midpoint anterior to upper mouth; nasal lamellae 61-63; upper jaw tooth count about ca. 83-93; post-synarcual centra 177-181; total vertebral segments 193-198;total pectoral skeleton radials 67-71 (Ref. 115561).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 24 April 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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