Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Rajiformes (Skates and rays) > Rajidae (Skates)
Etymology: Raja: Latin, raja, -ae = a sting ray (Raja sp.) (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Lowe.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range ? - 500 m. Deep-water; 33°N - 31°N

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: endemic to Madeira; possibly Azores. Nominal records from western Africa and the Canary Islands could not be verified and are probably misidentifications.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 85.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2683); common length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2683)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Upper surface wholly prickly, underside almost entirely prickly; orbital thorns separate, a regular row of 21-25 large thorns from nape to first dorsal fin; upper surface dark brown with a constant pattern of irregular light spots forming broad undulating transverse bands with narrower unspotted bands between, underside white, but grey on snout and broad dark margin to disc from behind midpoint of anterior margin, also blackish at tip of tail (Ref. 3167).

Feeds on all kinds of benthic animals (Ref. 3167). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Oviparous (Ref. 3167). Paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McEachran, John | Collaborators

McEachran, J.D. and K.A. Dunn, 1998. Phylogenetic analysis of skates, a morphologically conservative clade of elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia 1998(2):271-290. (Ref. 27314)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Vulnerable (VU) (D2); Date assessed: 11 December 2014

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00263 (0.00118 - 0.00585), b=3.26 (3.09 - 3.43), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.5 ±0.37 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Raja maderensis Lowe, 1838