Neotrygon Castelnau 1873

Genus Neotrygon Castelnau, 1873

Neotrygon Castelnau, 1873:122. Type species Raya trigonoides Castelnau, 1873; by monotypy.

Definition. Small dasyatids (adults to 27–47 cm DW) characterised by the following: moderately depressed to robust, rhombic disc with pectoral-fin apex typically narrowly angular; snout obtuse and short (1.2–2.3 times combined orbit and spiracle length); eye large and protruding (often greatly); nasal curtain narrow, typically subrectangular; mouth narrow with 2 large median oral papillae; tail flexible and short (length 1.1–1.5 times DW), its base medium-broad and depressed to flattened oval; pelvic fins long and pointed, protruding slightly to wellbeyond disc; dorsal fold well developed; ventral fold low with a long base; caudal sting positioned moderately well back on tail (distance from pectoral-fin insertion to caudal-sting base 2.1–2.8 times interspiracular width); skin smooth and denticle band absent; row of small median thorns in most adults, no other thorns on disc; tail smooth; typically with strong dorsal colour pattern, usually with dark mask-like marking around eyes and blue or black spots on disc; posterior tail with black and white bands; ventral surface white, disc margin typically darker; marine, Indo– West Pacific.

Species. N. annotata (Last, 1987), N. australiae Last, White & Séret, 2016, N. caeruleopunctata Last, White & Séret, 2016, N. kuhlii (Müller & Henle, 1841), N. leylandi (Last, 1987), N. ningalooensis Last, White & Puckridge, 2010, N. orientale Last, White & Séret, 2016, N. picta Last & White, 2008, N. trigonoides (Castelnau, 1873), and N. varidens (Garman, 1885).

Remarks. The taxonomy of a subgroup of Neotrygon, the kuhlii-complex, is not fully resolved (Puckridge et al., 2013). Three new members of the kuhlii-complex were described recently and a Western Pacific species (N. varidens) was resurrected (Last et al., 2016). Members of this subgroup are very similar in morphology and an Indo–Pacific revision is needed.