Aulohalaelurus kanakorum n.sp., a new species of catshark (Carcharhiniformes, Scyliorhinidae, Atelomycterinae) from New Caledonia

A new catshark, Aulohahaelurus kanakorum n.sp. , is described from an adult male collected from off south-western New Caledonia. It is the second species in the genus Aulohalaelurus, previously restricted to western Australia. The new species is distinct from its allopatric congener, Aulohalaelurus labiosus (Waite, 1905), mainly by colour pattern, longer interdorsal space, pelvic-anal distance, shorter prepelvic length, morphology of dermal denticles and higher number of diplospondylous vertebrae. A neotype is also designated for A. labiosus (Waite, 1905). SERET, B. , 1990. Aulohalaelurus kanakorum n.sp. , a new species of catshark (Carcharhiniformes, Scyliorhinidae, Atelomycterinae) from New Caledonia. Records of the Australian Museum 42(2): 127-136. Fowler (1934: 235-237) defined two subgenera of the genus Halaelurus Gill, 1862, Holohalaelurus (type species Scyliorhinus regani Gi1christ, 1922) and Aulohalaelurus (type species Catulus labiosus Waite, 1905). The diagnosis provided by Fowler for his new subgenus Aulohalaelurus was " . labial folds greatly developed, extend along lower jaw nearly to symphysis . " in which folds mean furrows or grooves as suggested by the Greek stem aulos meaning grooves. This subgenus was elevated to generic rank by Whitley (1934: 153; 1940: 89) but Bigelow & Schroeder (1948: 198) relegated it to the synonymy of Halaelurus, and Compagno (1973) did not mention this genus in his classification of living elasmobranchs. In his revision of the scyliorhinid catsharks, Springer (1979: 35-36) recognised the monotypic genus Aulohalaelurus and provided a more detailed diagnosis. Compagno included Aulohalaelurus in his revision of the carcharhinoid sharks (1979: 183) and in his catalogue of sharks (1984b: 294) pointed out that the validity of this genus had to be confirmed. In the revised version of his study on the Carcharhiniformes, Compagno (1988: 103-l05)recognised the monotypic genus Aulohalaelurus and suggested that it is the " . primitive sister group . " of Atelomycterus. Both genera were included in the subfamily Atelomycterinae, new rank for Atelomycteridae White (1936) as proposed and defined by Compagno (1988: 98). Waite (1905) described his species Catulus labiosus from a male 620 mm total length (TL) collected off Fremantle, and supposedly deposited in the Western Australian Museum (W AM). Whitley (1934: fig. 1) illustrated 127 128 Records of the Australian Museum Vol. 42 this specimen. McKay (1966) stated that the type of Halaelurus labiosus was in WAM, but none of the W AM specimens he listed as " . actual records . " fits with Waite's holotype. Springer (1979) mentioned that the holotype is " . a 620 mm male WAM . ", but he gave no catalogue number for this holotype and provided the measurements of another specimen (adult male 540 mm TL, WAM P12020, Point Peron, Fremantle). Compagno (1984b) determined that Waite's holotype is WAM P13253-001. Through the courtesy of Nick Haigh from W AM, I examined this catalogued specimen, but it is an adolescent male of 482 mm TL, not the 620 mm male described by Waite, although the associated label states it is Waite's holotype! Close comparison of this adolescent male with Whitley's drawing (1934: fig.I) caused me to conclude that undoubtedly Whitley drew this specimen which he thought was " . the unique holotype . " of A. labiosus. Considering the two thirds natural size drawing of the holotype's head (Waite, 1905: fig.23), it should actually be about 620 mm long. The correct holotype could not be found and the origin of the confusion could not be explained (N. Haigh, personal communication, 1987). The 620 mm adult male (WAM P27184-00l) examined by Compagno (1988) was collected in 1981 off Two Rocks, WA. Thus the specimen WAM P13253-001 is herein designated as the neotype of A. labiosus (with the agreement of Dr G.R. AlIen, Curator of Fishes, W AM). As a result, the new species was compared to Waite' s original description, to subsequent descriptions by Garman (1913), Whitley (1934, 1940), Fowler (1941), Stead (1963), McKay (1966), Springer (1979) and Compagno (1984b, 1988), and to three specimens from W AM. The new scyliorhinid catshark from New Caledonia is assigned to the genus Aulohalaelurus on the basis of the following set of characters (as defined by Compagno, 1984b, 1988): supraorbital crests present on cranium above eyes; anterior nasal flaps moderately expanded, well separated from each other and not reaching mouth; nasoral grooves absent; labial furrows very long, upper reaching level of upper symphysis; second dorsal fin about as large as the first dorsal fin. Material and Methods Measurements were taken according to Compagno (1984a, 1988). Vertebral counts were done on radiographs according to Springer & Garrick (1964). These authors recommend to insert a pin at the origin of upper caudal lobe to separate the precaudal from the caudal vertebrae; however, the number of diplospondylous vertebrae were also counted to the origin of the lower caudal lobe to include all the caudal vertebrae and this number is given in brackets. Teeth and dermal denticles were observed with a stereoscopic microscope and by scanning electron microscope. As the new species is known from the holotype only, no dissection was performed to reveal anatomical structure except for the left clasper; however, the pectoral skeleton structure was observed from radiographs. Terminology of clasper components and cartilages is according to Compagno (1979, 1988). Abbreviations for museums and institutions follow Leviton et al. (1985). Aulohalaelurus kanakorum n.sp.