Description: A stingray, with long whip-like tail, no caudal or dorsal fins, and one or more toxic serrated spines at the base of the tail. Pectoral fins completely fused with the sides of the head over its entire length. Disc diamond-shaped, short snout, bluntly angled. Tail two and a half times the body length. Larger specimens have large tubercle thorns or bucklers irregularly spread over the dorsal surface of the disc; the underside of the tail is also thorny posteriorly to the spine. Olive brown above; underside almost white; tail black posterior to spine.
Global Distribution: Eastern Atlantic from the Bay of Biscay to Angola, including the Mediterranean Sea, Madeira, and Canary Islands. Western Atlantic from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico; southern Brazil to Argentina. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum disc width 220 cm; common disc width 125 cm; maximum published weight: 300.0 kg.
Age:
Weight length rel.:
Growth type:
von Bertallanfy growth parameters:
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous.
Maturity: range 66 - 100 cm.
Behavioural ecology:
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 3 - 270 m, usually 15 - 50 m.
Habitat: Demersal, found over sandy and muddy bottoms.
Feeding habits: Feeds on benthic invertebrates and fishes.
Trophic level: FishBase: 3.8
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Minor commercial species.
Conservation status: Global: Least concern.
Europe: Vulnerable.
Nutritional information & food safety: Usually only the 'wings' are consumed.
REFERENCES
Ebert D.A., Stehmann M.F.W. (2013). Sharks, batoids, and chimaeras of the North Atlantic. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes, No. 7. FAO, Rome, 523 pp.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Nieto A., Ralph G.M., Comeros-Raynal M.T., Kemp J., GarcÃa Criado M., Allen D.J., Dulvy N.K., Walls R.H.L., Russell B., Pollard D., GarcÃa S., Craig M., Collette B.B., Pollom R., Biscoito M., Labbish Chao N., Abella A., Afonso P., Ãlvarez H., Carpenter K.E., Clò S., Cook R., Costa M.J., Delgado J., Dureuil M., Ellis J.R., Farrell E.D., Fernandes P., Florin A-B., Fordham S., Fowle, S., Gil de Sola L., Gil Herrera J., Goodpaster A., Harvey M., Heessen H., Herler J., Jung A., Karmovskaya E., Keskin C., Knudsen S.W., Kobyliansky S., KovaÄić M., Lawson J.M., Lorance P., McCully Phillips S., Munroe T., Nedreaas K., Nielsen J., Papaconstantinou C., Polidoro B., Pollock C.M., Rijnsdorp A.D., Sayer C., Scott J., Serena F., Smith-Vaniz W.F., Soldo A., Stump E., Williams J.T. (2015). Europen Red List of Marine Fishes. IUCN and European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 90 pp.
