Spiny skate

📖 Overview

Found in deep waters to almost 3,000 m, making it one of the deepest dwelling skates; prefer cold temperatures compared to its congeners. Feeds on deep-water benthic fishes. Size at maturity for males is unknown, for female specimens, size at maturity at 98 cm TL; with size at birth 25 cm TL. Egg cases are large compared to its congeners (9.2 cm TL); colour plum brown and longitudinally weakly striated, with both surfaces of the case plush-like to the touch. Horns with posterior ones curve inwards and with narrow at tips .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

This large skates (200.3 cm TL), with large disc length and width (44.1-56.9 and 50.6-67.3% TL, respectively) are distinguished by the following: pectorals with rounded apices; head moderately long (14.0-20.5 % TL), interspiracular length large (9.1-12.2% TL), mouth width large (6.1-13.0% TL); teeth in 31-33 rows on upper jaw and in 24-31 rows on lower jaw; total vertebrae 137; dorsal and ventral surfaces are covered with prickles; thorns usually absent on dorsal surface, with tail thorns (22-28), interdorsal thorns weakly developed or absent (0-1), no middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns. Colouration: dorsal pale white to grey, while ventral is pale white; outer edges of pectorals dark .Cross section: flattened.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Spiny skate is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk . Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 800 - 2938 m . Deep-water North Pacific: from the Bering Sea, south to the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 2 records indexed .

👥 Community & Contribute