What came first, the shark or the egg? Discovery of a new species of deepwater shark by investigation of egg case morphology.

ABSTRACT

Apristurus ovicorrugatus, a new species of deepwater catshark, is described from northwestern Australia. Unique egg cases belonging to an unknown species of Apristurus prompted a more detailed investigation of Apristurus specimens off northwestern Australia. One specimen previously identified as A. sinensis collected off Dampier Archipelago was found gravid with a single egg case. Removal of this egg case confirmed that this species was responsible for producing the unique egg cases previously recorded. The egg cases of this species have strong T-shaped longitudinal ridges on the dorsal and ventral surfaces which are unique in the genus Apristurus. The ridges most closely resemble those present in Bythaelurus canescens from South America, but are larger and always T-shaped. The holotype is closest morphologically to A. sinensis but differs in having a medium brown buccal cavity (vs. jet black), ridged egg cases (vs. smooth egg cases), fewer intestinal spiral valve turns and larger pectoral fins. The holotype is also similar, and closest on a molecular level, to A. nakayai with which it shares a unique synapomorphic character, the white shiny iris (apomorphic within the genus). A late-term embryo removed from an egg case superficially resembled the holotype except in having two parallel rows of enlarged dermal denticles on the dorsolateral predorsal surface. Recent nomenclatural changes to the genera Apristurus and Pentanchus are discussed and challenged. This study highlights the important contribution that egg case morphology has on oviparous elasmobranch taxonomy.