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Squalus formosus, a new species of spurdog shark (Squaliformes: Squalidae), from the western North Pacific Ocean

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 09:10 authored by White, WT, Iglesias, SP
A new species of spurdog, Squalus formosus n. sp., from the lower continental shelf and upper continental slope off the coast of Taiwan and southern Japan, is described. It belongs to the 'highfin megalops group', the members of which share a short snout, high dorsal fins, robust dorsal spines, tricuspid denticles and a white posterior caudal margin. Squalus formosus is most similar to Squalus albifrons, a recently described species from eastern Australia, but differs in some morphological characters and fin colouration. Squalus formosus is sympatric with three other species of Squalus in Taiwanese waters, i.e. Squalus brevirostris, Squalus japonicus and Squalus mitsukurii, and can be readily distinguished from these in the following combination of characters: tall and upright first dorsal fin, with a tall and robust spine, short and bluntly pointed snout, white caudal-fin posterior margin and first dorsal fin with a white anterior margin parallel with dorsal spine. This new species was considered by some authors to be conspecific with Squalus blainville from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, but the results of this study reveal that it is probably endemic to Taiwan and southern Japan.

History

Publication title

Journal of Fish Biology

Volume

79

Issue

4

Pagination

954-968

ISSN

0022-1112

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Place of publication

9600 Garsington Rd, Oxford, England, Oxon, Ox4 2Dg

Rights statement

Copyright 2011 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2011 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Other environmental management not elsewhere classified

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