First report and description of a legskate, genus Cruriraja, from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae)

A female 320 mm in T L and presumably immature is described here as the first specimen of legskate, genus Cruriraja Bigelow & Schroeder, 1948, collected in the western South Atlantic Ocean; the specimen was taken from the eastern Brazilian continental slope off the state of Bahia in a depth of 251 m. It is morphologically characterized and compared to all congeners, and is identified as Cruriraja rugosa Bigelow & Schroeder, 1958, a species that otherwise occurs in the western North Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea. Our specimen shares with C. rugosa features not present in congeners (e.g., a single clearly defined row of thorns on posterior dorsal disc and tail midline, absence of scapular thorns), but differs from typical C. rugosa in lacking a distinct caudal fin, in having fewer thorns on tail midline and sides, in lacking denticles on ventral tail surface, and in snout angle; these characters are considered insufficient, however, to describe the unique Brazilian specimen as a new species. Species of Cruriraja are otherwise restricted to the lower continental shelf and slope of the western North Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Indian Ocean, and off South Africa. The Brazilian specimen reduces the distributional void between South African/Indian Ocean species of Cruriraja with those occurring in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and western North Atlantic Ocean.Original Abstract: Premiere capture et description d'un specimen de raie du genre Cruriraja de l'Atlantique sud-ouest. Nous decrivons le premier specimen d'une raie femelle, presumee immature, de 320 mm LT, du genre Cruriraja Bigelow & Schroeder, 1948, recolte dans l'Atlantique sud-ouest. Ce specimen a ete capture sur la pente continentale bresilienne de l'etat de Bahia par 251 m de profondeur. Les caracteristiques morphologiques du specimen, comparees a celles de toutes les autres especes du genre Cruriraja, permettent de l'identifier comme Cruriraja rugosa Bigelow & Schroeder, 1958, qui etait connue jusqu'a present en Atlantique nord-ouest, dans le golfe du Mexique et la mer des Caraibes. Notre specimen a en commun avec C. rugosa la combinaison des caracteristiques suivantes, non presentees par les autres especes du genre: une seule rangee, bien definie, d'epines mediodorsales sur la partie posterieure du disque et le dessus de la queue ; absence d'epines scapulaires. Il differe de la forme typique de C. rugosa par l'absence d'une nageoire caudale distincte, par u