Maskrays, Neotrygon spp., are a group of Stingrays, Dasyatidae, found in the Indian Ocean and west Pacific. They get their name from a distinctive coloured marking around the eyes, which resembles a mask, but have a number of other distinctive features, including short tails with well developed dorsal fins, small mouths with enlarged cuspid teeth, and large pectoral fins with a single row of thorns along their dorsal midline. All Maskrays were formerly thought to belong to a single widespread and somewhat variable species, Neotrygon kuhlii, but genetic studies have shown that there are in fact a range of species, with sixteen species described to date, nine of them since 2016, and thirteen of these belonging to a species-complex known as the Blue-spotted group.
In a paper published in the Journal of Fish Biology on 9 June 2025, Kerstin Glaus of the Institute of Marine Resources of The University of the South Pacific, William White and Helen O'Neill of the Australian National Fish Collection, Sarah Thurnheer of the Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich, and Sharon Appleyard, also of the Australian National Fish Collection, describe a new species of Maskray from Fiji.
Fiji has long been known to be home to a population of Blue-spotted Maskrays, which are the most widely traded Ray in local fish-markets, but which have never been the subject of a taxonomic study. Glaus et al.'s study was carried out using specimens purchased in Suva Fish Market on Viti Levu Island or obtained from local fishermen. No Rays were killed specifically for the study. A genetic analysis found that these specimens all belonged to a single species, and that this species was previously unidentified, and was a sister species to the previously described Neotrygon kuhlii from the Solomon Islands.
Glaus et al. name this new species Neotrygon romeo, in honour of the late Romeo Glaus, father of Kerstin Glaus, in recognition of his lasting inspiration, enduring support and deep respect for nature. Specimens of Neotrygon romeo have quadrangular disks, weakly convex at the front, and broader than they are long. They range from 310 to 397 mm in width and from 80.6 to 84.2 mm in length, or from 176.9 to 213.1 mm in length including the tail. A single row of thorns is present on the midline. There are two tail stings. Living specimens are beige-to-medium brown, with a slight greenish tinge. The disk has a sparse scaterring of spots, these having a white centre and a diffuse-edged dark-grey to blackishouter ring. There is also a scaterring of smaller, all black, spots. A dark 'mask' is present across the eyesm, and a pair of larger circular or irregular dark brown blotches behind the spiracules. The underside is white. The tail has a bluish tinge, and has irregular black and white bands towards the tip.
Neotrygon romeo appears to be common around the islands of Fiji, and is found on various substrates, including sandy-bottom areas, seagrass beds, muddy-sandy areas with and without sea-grass, and coral reefs, from the tidal zone to depths of about 23 m. Individuals are generally solitary, but have been spotted in groups of up to five. Glaus et al. recommend that due to the species restricted range, high catch rate, and unknown life-history, it should be considered for legal protection by Fiji's Endangered and Protected Species Act, which con-serves biodiversity by regulating trade, protection and management of species at risk or endemic to Fiji.
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