Okamejei ornata n. sp., a new deep-water skate (Elasmobranchii, Rajidae) from the northwestern Indian Ocean off Socotra Islands

A new species of the Indo-Pacific skate genus Okamejei is described based on 10 specimens caught around the Socotra Islands (northwestern Indian Ocean). The type series of Okamejei ornata n. sp. was sampled during cruise 17 of RV ‘Vityaz’ along the deep western Indian Ocean in 1988/89. The new species represents the fifth species of Okamejei in the western Indian Ocean and differs from its congeners in having a unique dorsal pattern of variable dark brown spots encircled with beige pigment and arranged into rosettes. The dorsal ground color is ocher, but the anterior snout is dusky. Compared to congeners in the western Indian Ocean, the new species has a shorter preorbital snout length, a greater orbit diameter, fewer pectoral radials, an intermediate distance between first gill slits, and an intermediate number of upper jaw tooth rows.