Bythaelurus giddingsi E, Long & Baldwin, 2012, sp. nov.

• Main Authors: E, John, Long, Douglas J., Baldwin, Carole C.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2012
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Elasmobranchii; Carcharhiniformes; Scyliorhinidae; Bythaelurus; Bythaelurus giddingsi; Darwin Island
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5613090; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03AEFA5AB428FFED06A23464FC533471

Bythaelurus giddingsi sp. nov. (Figures 1–4, Plates 1–2, Tables 1–2) Proposed common name. Galápagos Catshark. Bythaelurus sp.: Compagno (2005b: 20), McCosker & Rosenblatt (2010: 172, 187), Ruiz et al. , (2011: 12). Bythaelurus sp. B: Compagno et al. (2005: 215, pl. 35), Kyne & Simpendorfer (2007: 53), Hearn et al. (2009: 51). Material examined. All specimens are from the Galápagos Islands, collected aboard the submersible Johnson Sea- Link during 1995 and 1998. Holotype. CAS 210091, 402 mm TL, female, Darwin Island, 0 1o 42.0' N, 92o00.0' W, (station number JSL 3103, field number JM 145), 428 m depth, collected by J.E. McCosker on 18 July 1998. Paratypes. MNHN 2010-0004 (originally CAS 210092), 324 mm TL, immature male, JM 146; SIO 99-99, 217 mm TL, immature male, JM 147; and CAS 210093, 300 mm TL (partially dissected), immature female, JM 148; Darwin Island, all collected with the holotype. CAS 86559, 261 mm, immature male, Darwin Island, 0 1o 42.05' N, 92o00.02' W (JSL 3967), 511 m depth, collected by J.E. McCosker on 21 Nov. 1995. USNM 364283, 301 mm TL, immature female, Marchena Island, N. shore, 0 0o 24.0' N, 90o26.5' W (JSL 3106, JM 175 & CB 98-49), 562 m depth, collected by C.C. Baldwin on 19 July 1998. SAM- 35042, 453 mm TL, male, Marchena Island, N. shore, 0 0o 24.0' N, 90o26.5' W (JSL 3109, JM 199), 454 m depth, collected by J.E. McCosker on 21 July 1998. Diagnosis. A moderate-sized species of Bythaelurus with the following characteristics: snout bluntly rounded; preoral length 4.7–6.8% TL; head short, its length about equal to pectoral-pelvic space, 21–24% TL; precaudal length 73–80% TL; dorsal and anal fins subequal; length of anal-fin base about equal to length of interdorsal space; precaudal vertebrae 81–85 (mean = 82.6); color chocolate brown dorsally, paler on ventral surface from snout to anus; body, flanks, caudal and median fins overlain with pale spots about equal in size to eye, becoming smaller below lateral midline, and showing a bilaterally asymmetrical pattern. Description. ...