Cartilaginous fish diversity in the Western Visayas, Philippines, including two putative unidentified species and the first record of Carcharhinus plumbeus (Elasmobranchii: Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae)

Abstract

This annotated checklist documents the diversity of cartilaginous fishes, including sharks, batoids (rays and skates), and chimaeras, from Panay and Guimaras islands, Western Visayas, Philippines, through surveys at fish markets and ports. A total of fourteen species were sampled and identified, including one chimaera, six sharks, and seven batoids from ten families (Chimaeridae, Hemiscylliidae, Scyliorhinidae, Carcharhinidae, Pristiophoridae, Rhinobatidae, Plesiobatidae, Urolophidae, Dasyatidae, and Aetobatidae). Among these, the presence of the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) in Philippine waters is confirmed for the first time, whereas a potential unidentified batoid species within the genera Himantura Müller et Henle, 1837 and Urolophus Müller et Henle, 1837 are reported. The twelve nominal taxa described herein include three species classified as Least Concern, five are Near Threatened, two Vulnerable, one Endangered, and one is Critically Endangered as per the IUCN Red List assessments. These documented species supplement recent inventories, expanding our knowledge on the diversity and distribution of cartilaginous fishes in the region and country, while also providing comprehensive morphological descriptions, validated molecular data, and curated voucher specimens for future reference.