Taeniura lessoni Last, White & Naylor 2016

Andréfouët, Serge, Chen, Wei-Jen, Kinch, Jeff, Mana, Ralph, Russell, Barry C., Tully, Dean & White, William T., 2019, Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records, Zootaxa 4588 (1), pp. 1-360 : 46

Taeniura lessoni Last, White & Naylor 2016 — Oceania fantail stingray ( Fig. 9 )

Status at New Ireland. First recorded from Port Praslin, New Ireland as Trygon halgani by Lesson (1831: 100, Poissons pl. 3), based on MNHN A.7994 (2 syntypes). Recorded from Kavieng, New Ireland in original description by Last et al. (2016a: 392). Although syntypes possibly referable to this species, Lesson's description was based on, and included an illustration of, Taeniura lymma (Forsskål, 1775) . Specimens photographed at Lissenung Island by Dietmar Amon on 17 Oct. 2007, by Dean Tully at 8 m depth on 26 June 2013, and at 2 m depth in July 2014.

Distribution and habitat. New Ireland: 2, 3.—General distribution: New Britain ( Papua New Guinea), Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Found on coral reefs, sheltering in caves and under ledges during the day, 0–20 m depth. Marine.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Taeniura lessoni Last, White & Naylor 2016, Kavieng District, St. KVGPMT17, 13 Aug. 2014 (underwater photograph: Serge Andréfouët).