Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Rajiformes (Skates and rays) >
Rajidae (Skates)
Etymology: cairae: Named for the Connecticut-based parasitologist, Dr Janine Caira.
Eponymy: Dr Janine N Caira (d: 1957) is a Canadian parasitologist who is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connectictut. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on authors: Last, Fahmi & Ishihara.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 65 - 150 m (Ref. 106604). Tropical
Western Pacific: off western Borneo, South China Sea.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 34.8, range 34 - 35.5 cm
Max length : 36.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 84285); 39.0 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: disc with narrowly rounded apices, not broad, width 61-70% TL, 1.2-1.3 times its length; snout angle 84-106°; moderately long tail, length 0.9-1.1 in distance from snout tip to rear of cloaca; slender tail, width 1.2-1.7 times height at its midlength, 1.1-1.7 times at first dorsal-fin origin; pre-upper jaw length 14-16% TL, 1.8-2.1 times internasal width; ventral length 27-30% TL; snout length 2.8-3.6 times interorbital width; orbit diameter 93-103% interorbital width in large males, 69-89% in females; first dorsal-fin height 2.3-3.0 its base length; distance from first dorsal-fin origin to tail tip 4.1-5.4 times first dorsal-fin base length, 2.9-3.2 times caudal-fin length; medium sized pelvic fins, length of posterior lobe 15-17% TL, length of anterior lobe 78-92% of posterior lobe; adult clasper about 22% TL, connected to pelvic-fin inner margin at about 40% of its length from cloaca in adult male; clasper glans expanded slightly, soft, claw-like funnel; anterior margins of both surfaces of disc of males with denticle bands, no dorsal bands in females and juveniles; 1-3 nuchal thorns present; malar thorn patch elongate and posteriorly positioned; tail thorns very small (rudimentary and possibly deciduous in mature males), in 5 irregular rows in both sexes and juveniles; total pectoral radials 78-84; centra: trunk 24-31, predorsal 68-75, total 123-141; 40-51 tooth rows in upper jaw; mainly yellowish to brownish with variable size clusters of fine brownish spots (sometimes faint) over most of dorsal disc; rostral cartilage not strongly demarcated from rest of snout; prominent, dark brown ocellate markings near rear tip, and often near center of each pectoral fin; ventral surface usually pale to medium greyish brown over head and abdomen, distinctly darker than paler area around margin of disc; ventral sensory pores large, silvery white with dark margins when fresh, uniformly black in preservative, not surrounded by greyish blotches, none on abdomen and pelvic girdle; each dorsal fin with a dark anterior saddle, caudal fin with 2 dark bars (Ref. 84285).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Last, P.R., Fahmi and H. Ishihara, 2010. Okamejei cairae sp. nov. (Rajoidei: Rajidae), a new skate from the South China Sea. pp. 89-100. In Last, P.R., White, W.T. & Pogonoski, J.J. (eds.): Descriptions of new sharks and rays from Borneo. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper no. 32. (Ref. 84285)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
FAO -
