New Ireland stingaree
| New Ireland stingaree | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Myliobatiformes |
| Family: | Urolophidae |
| Genus: | Spinilophus Yearsley & Last, 2016 |
| Species: | S. armatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Spinilophus armatus (Valenciennes, 1841) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Urolophus armatus Valenciennes, 1841 | |
The New Ireland stingaree (Spinilophus armatus) or black-spotted stingaree, is a species of stingray in the family Urolophidae, known only from a single juvenile male 17.4 cm (6.9 in) long, collected in the Bismarck Archipelago. This species has an oval pectoral fin disc with tiny eyes and a rectangular curtain of skin between the nostrils. Its tail is fairly long and terminates in a leaf-shaped caudal fin, and lacks a dorsal fin. Uniquely among stingarees, it has rows of sharp spinules on the posterior portion of its back and the base of its tail. Its dorsal coloration is brown with dark spots. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this ray as Data Deficient, pending more information.