Description: Snout very long and pointed; length before eyes 2,5-4,0 times distance between them; disc broadly rhombic with acute outer corners; upper surface and underside smooth in young, partly prickly in larger specimens; no thorns on disc, a row of 12-18 thorns along tail; upper surface olive-grey or brown with a variable pattern of light spots, underside ashy-grey to blue-grey.
Global Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: From Scandinavia to Senegal, including western Mediterranean and western part of the Baltic. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 285 cm (total length); common length 100.0 cm (TL); maximum published weight: 97.1 kg.
Age:
Weight length rel.: Azores (Rosa et al. 2006): a=0.0010, b=3.391, r2=9.986 (n=32).
British Isles (McCully et al. 2012): Males: a=0.0041, b=3.123, r2=0.95. Females: a=0.0026, b=3.222, r2=0.99.
Growth type:
von Bertallanfy growth parameters:
Reproduction: Distinct pairing with embrace. Mate in spring and the egg capsules are laid during the summer. Oviparous. Eggs are oblong capsules with stiff pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats. Egg capsules are 10.6-24.5 cm long and 5.0-14.5 cm wide. About 40 eggs per individual are laid annually.
Maturity: 160 cm. British Isles (McCully et al. 2012): first maturity: 115 cm (males); 125 cm (females).
Behavioural ecology: Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother.
Population structure & migrations: The status of this species is currently under discussion, with some authors defending the separation into two species.
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 100 - 1000 m, usually 100 - 200 m.
Habitat: Benthic species in shelf and slope waters with a wide tolerance for depth and temperature. Found in coastal waters mainly within the 200 m range.
Feeding habits: Feeds on all kind of benthic animals; larger individuals prefer fish.
Trophic level:
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Minor commercial species. Commercially it is not distinguished from other skates of the family Rajidae.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
McCully S.R., Scott F., Ellis J.R. (2012). Lengths at maturity and conversion factors for skates (Rajidae) around the British Isles, with an analysis of data in the literature. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69(10): 1812-1822.
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.
Rosa A., Menezes G., Melo O., Pinho M.R. (2006). Weight–length relationships of 33 demersal fish species from Azores archipelago. Fisheries Research, 80(2): 329-332.
