Description: The Madeiran ray is a regionally endemic species with a limited geographical distribution. The body is subrhombic, wider than long, with a short, bluntly angled snout with a slightly pronounced tip. Tail somewhat longer than body, solid and gradually tapering to tip, with two smal dorsal fins at rear. Densely set coarse dermal denticles on the dorsal surface. Colour dark brown with a pattern of irregular light spots forming broad transverse bands alternating with narrower unspotted bands; white on the ventral side, except for black disc margins and grey on the snout. The tip of the snout and the tip of the tail are black.
Global Distribution: Madeira, Azores, and seamounts in the Eastern North Atlantic. Possibly west African coast and Canary Islands.
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 85.0 cm (total length); common length 50.0 cm (TL).
Population structure & migrations: Some authors consider Raja maderensis a regional morphological variety of R. clavata, but genetic studies haven't been conclusive. We follow Ebert & Stehmann (2013) in considering it a valid species endemic to the Macaronesian region. It is possible that R. clavata may have reached Madeira from North-West Africa, and settled there as an isolated population which over time evolved into a regionally endemic species with a specific colour pattern.
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: ? - 500 m.
Canary Islands (Brito et al. 2002): 20 - 430 m.
Habitat: Benthic over a diversity of subtrates.
Feeding habits: Feeds on all kinds of benthic animals.
Trophic level: FishBase: 3.5
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Minor commercial species. Commercially it is not distinguished from other skates of the family Rajidae.
Conservation status: Global: Data deficient.
Europe: Vulnerable.
Nutritional information & food safety:
REFERENCES
Brito A., Pascual P.J., Falcón J.M., Sancho A., González G. (2002). Peces de las islas Canarias. Catálogo comentado e ilustrado. Francisco Lemos Editor, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, 418 pp.
Direcção Regional de Pescas, Madeira.
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.
