| Family: |
Rajidae (Skates) |
| Max. size: |
150 cm TL (male/unsexed); max. reported age: 21 years |
| Environment: |
demersal; marine; depth range 4 - 723 m, oceanodromous |
| Distribution: |
Western Atlantic: Newfoundland Banks and southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada to North Carolina, USA. |
| Diagnosis: |
Disk rounded, with many small dark spots on upper surface. Usually 1-4 ocelli on upper surface on each side of disk, each with a dark brownish center and pale edge. Young have long middorsal row of large spines on disk and tail. Upper jaw has 72 rows of teeth (Ref. 7251). Lower surface usually white but marked with irregular pale brownish blotches (Ref. 6902). |
| Biology: |
Prefer sandy and gravelly bottoms in shoal water in the north range; to at least 90 m in south (Ref. 7251). Benthic (Ref. 5951). Much larger specimens (than 113 cm) of up to 150 cm were captured by the Fisheries Research Board of Canada off central and northern Nova Scotia from 1960 to 1971 (Ref. 131089). Those caught at Cans, Nova Scotia in Canada were found to have eaten dollarfish, cunner, and squid. Mostly inactive during daylight hours, but active under dark conditions (Ref. 10807). Oviparous. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother (Ref. 205). Eggs are oblong capsules with stiff pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats (Ref. 205). Egg capsules are 5.5-9.9 cm long and 3.5-5.3 cm wide (Ref. 41249, 7135, 71301).
Electric organ discharge (EOD) activity seemed more frequent during dark periods (Ref. 10808). The individual EOD of this species is monophasic, head-negative, and lasts 217 ms (Ref. 10011). This species is used only for the manufacture of fish meal. |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Endangered (EN); Date assessed: 19 June 2019 (A2bd) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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