Greenback Stingaree - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

The greenback stingaree was described by Australian ichthyologist Alan Riverstone McCulloch in an 1916 volume of the scientific journal Biological Results Endeavour, who gave it the specific epithet viridis from the Latin word for "green". The type specimen was collected from a depth of 90 m (300 ft) off Green Cape in New South Wales, by the research vessel FIS Endeavour. An undescribed stingaree possibly belonging to this species has also been found in deep water off southwestern Australia; it is very similar to the greenback stingaree but has more pectoral fin rays (106–107 versus under 100).