Taxonomic review of the family Gymnuridae (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatoidea)

• Grant number: 13/06999-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: September 16, 2013
• End date: November 15, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Rodrigues de Carvalho
• Grantee: Leandro Yokota
• Supervisor: Ralf Britz
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Natural History Museum, London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/23759-7 - Taxonomic review of the family Gymnuridae (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatoidei), BP.PD

Abstract

The family Gymnuridae is represented by marine, demersal and coastal rays. The butterfly-rays occur in three main geographic regions: Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region, Eastern Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean (including Mediterranean). Although these rays are easily distinguished from other batoids, their representatives are very similar morphologically and, at the same time, exhibit considerable intraspecific variation. These factors have led to taxonomic confusion at the generic and specific levels within the family. Currently the family is represented by two genera and 10 to 13 valid species (out of some 25 available nominal species), however the validity of the genus Aetoplatea has been questioned. In general, the species have available only superficial and brief descriptions, and taxonomic uncertainties involving the identification and distinction of these rays are common. There are questionable species, populations that have been treated as the same species but that in reality may represent different taxonomic units, as well as populations considered as distinct taxonomic units that may, in fact, be the same species. The post-doctorate project linked to this proposal aims to review taxonomically the family Gymnuridae through multivariate analysis and morphological investigative techniques. So, research internships in international institutions to analyze comparative material representative of the nominal species available to the family must be conducted. This proposal presents the application to BEPE scholarship for conduct research internship at Natural History Museum (BMNH). Loans and briefs visits to other European institutions will be conducted. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

YOKOTA, LEANDRO; DE CARVALHO, MARCELO RODRIGUES. Taxonomic and morphological revision of butterfly rays of the Gymnura micrura (Bloch & Schneider 1801) species complex, with the description of two new species (Myliobatiformes: Gymnuridae). Zootaxa, v. 4332, n. 1, p. 1-74, OCT 12 2017. (11/23759-7, 12/02349-8, 12/09620-9, 13/06999-0)