Leopard skate

📖 Overview

Leopard skate (Bathyraja panthera) is a ray-finned fish of the family Arhynchobatidae. It inhabits marine (saltwater) waters in benthic environments. This species can reach a maximum total length of 111 cm. It occurs at depths between 51 and 258 metres. With a trophic level of 4, it is a mid-level predator. It is assessed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List.

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

This species is distinguished from all other members of the subgenus Arctoraja by the following: body coloration light greenish brown, with vermiculated and round black spots and yellow blotches; distal tip of ventral marginal sinusoidal; accessory terminal 2 elongate and broad, with long spike; distal tip of axial cartilage pointed; unique COI haplotype. Bathyraja panthera is further distinguished from B. parmifera by its total thorn count 31-42 (vs. 19-36), tail thorn count 19-28 (vs. 15-23), internal carotid foramina in a single median pit (vs. foramina widely separated), distal portion of ventral marginal cartilage sinusoidal (vs. straight), accessory terminal 2 elongate with long spike (vs. broadly triangular with short spike), distal tip of axial cartilage pointed (vs. bluntly rounded), anterior portion of body longer and wider (vs. shorter and narrower), tail long (vs. short); from B. simoterus by its wide interdorsal space 1.4-3.1% TL (vs. 0.5-1.0% TL), anterior portion of body longer and wider (vs. shorter and narrower), tail longer (vs. shorter), posterior fontanelle pear-shaped (vs. narrowly elongate), internal carotid foramina in a single median pit (vs. widely separated foramina), anterior postdorsal foramen of scapulocoracoid large, others much smaller (vs. all large), ventral terminal tear-drop shaped (vs. lanceolate); from B. smirnovi by its complete series of dorsal thorns (vs. interrupted series between nuchal and tail thorns), wider interdorsal length (vs. 0.1-1.4% TL), anterior portion of body longer and wider (vs. shorter and narrower), tail longer (vs. shorter), separate anterior and posterior fontanelles (vs. single fontanelle), ventral terminal tear-drop shaped (vs. lanceolate), dorsal and ventral marginals extending to about a quarter length of dorsal terminal 2 (vs. extending farther distally to distal tip of dorsal terminal 3) .: other.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Leopard skate is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; depth range 51 - 258 m . Boreal, 170°E - 179°W west of 180° longitude in the Aleutian Islands, and the depth range in survey records of all skates recorded as 'B.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

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