A new deep-sea softnose skate, Notoraja hesperindica, is described based on six specimens caught in 1230–1600 m depths off southern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar in the western Indian Ocean. The new species is a medium-sized species of Notoraja Ishiyama, 1958 reaching a total length of at least 539 mm. It is the only Notoraja species known from the western Indian Ocean and differs from most congeners in the intense dark blue-grayish coloration. The only congeners with similarly vibrant coloration are Notoraja azurea McEachran & Last, 2008 from off southern Australia and Notoraja sapphira Séret & Last, 2009 from the Norfolk Ridge (Coral Sea and Tasman Sea), which differ from the new species in a shorter and more obtusely angled snout, a shorter head, a shorter disc, and smaller dorsolateral tail thorns, as well as more predorsal tail and total predorsal vertebrae and more pectoral-fin radials. The large dorsolateral tail thorns also distinguish the new species from most congeners except for the eastern Pacific Notoraja martinezi Concha, Ebert & Long, 2016, which has even larger, randomly patterned dorsolateral tail thorns that give the tail a barbedwire-like appearance. This congener further differs from N. hesperindica sp. nov. in the absence (vs. presence) of malar thornlets, fewer median tail thorns, a shorter snout, more tooth rows in upper and lower jaws, and more pectoral radials. A key to the species of Notoraja in the Indian Ocean is provided.

根据在印度洋西部莫桑比克南部和马达加斯加西北部1230–1600 m深度处捕获的六个标本，描述了一种新的深海软鼻滑冰鞋Notoraja hesperindica。新物种是石山诺托拉雅（Notoraja Ishiyama）的中型物种，1958年的总长至少为539毫米。它是唯一从印度洋西部获知的诺托拉雅物种，与大多数同类动物的区别是深蓝色-灰色。与同样充满活力的色彩，唯一同系Notoraja azurea麦凯克伦和最后，从2008年在澳大利亚南部和Notoraja莎菲拉Séret＆Last，2009年，来自诺福克山脊（珊瑚海和塔斯曼海），与新物种不同的是，它的鼻子更短，钝角更短，头部更短，椎间盘更短，背外侧棘刺更短，等等。背前尾和整个背前椎骨以及更多的胸鳍radial骨。大型背外侧尾棘也将新物种与大多数同类动物区分开来，除了东部太平洋诺托拉玛·马丁内斯·孔查，Ebert＆Long，2016年，后者甚至有更大，随机图案的背外侧尾棘，使尾巴具有带刺的铁丝网状外观。该同类物还不同于橙皮猪笼草sp。十一月 不存在（相对于存在）黄斑小刺，更少的正中尾刺，更短的鼻子，上颚和下颚更多的牙齿排以及更多的胸骨radial骨。提供了印度洋诺托拉哈岛物种的关键。