Carcharhinus humani sp. nov., a new whaler shark (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae) from the western Indian Ocean

A new species of whaler shark, <i>Carcharhinus humani</i> sp. nov., is described based on five type specimens from the western Indian Ocean near the Socotra Islands, off Kuwait, Mozambique, and South Africa. The new species represents the fifth species of the <i>C. dussumieri/sealei </i>group and the third species of the <i>C. sealei </i>subgroup. The new species is the only species of the <i>C. sealei</i> subgroup known from the western Indian Ocean. Within the<i> C. sealei </i>subgroup, <i>C. humani </i>differs from<i> C. sealei </i>in having a sharply demarcated black apical marking on the second dorsal fin which does not extend onto body surface (vs. black marking diffuse-edged and usually extending onto upper sides of trunk), a longer horizontal prenarial length (4.1-4.7 vs. 3.4-4.2% TL), and a longer preoral length (6.8-7.6 vs. 5.7-6.5% TL); <i>C. humani</i> differs from<i> C. coatesi </i>in having a taller second dorsal fin (its height 4.0-4.5 vs. 2.9-3.6% TL), a shorter first dorsal fin (its length 13.4-14.6 vs. 14.8-17.3% TL), and more vertebrae (total centra 152-167 vs. 134-147).