Spotted ray

Spotted ray
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Rajiformes
Family: Rajidae
Genus: Raja
Species:
R. montagui
Binomial name
Raja montagui
Fowler, 1910
Synonyms[2]
  • Raia maculata Montagu, 1818

The spotted ray or spotted skate (Raja montagui) is a species of skate in the family Rajidae.[3][4]

Distribution

The Spotted ray is found in the Atlantic Ocean from the Irish Sea to Morocco, and in the Mediterranean as well.[5] It occurs on continental shelves between a depth of 8–650 metres (26–2,133 ft), and potentially as deep as 800 metres (2,600 ft). It lives over seabeds with soft substrates.[6]

Description

Photograph

Like all rays, the spotted ray has a flattened body with broad, wing-like pectoral fins. The body is sub-rhomboid. The dorsum is brown with dark spots which do not extend to the edges of the fins. The spotted ray has a dorsal surface which for juveniles is smooth and which becomes prickly as it grows. The ventral surface is smooth, apart from the gill, abdominal, and anterior disc margin areas. It is coloured white with greyish margins. There are 1-2 interdorsal thorns, and adult males have both alar and malar thorns. The snout is moderately long and it has a slightly pronounced tip. The upper and lower jaws have 38-60 rows.[6]

Its maximum length is 80 cm (2.6 ft), making it one of the smallest skates.[7]

Behaviour

The spotted ray buries itself in sand to ambush prey and avoid predators. It mainly feeds on crustaceans, polychaetes, teleosts and molluscs.[8][9]

Life cycle

Spotted ray egg case

Spotted rays are oviparous with egg cases laid in summer. The pups hatch fully formed, about 11.5 cm (4.5 in) long, after 5 or 6 months.[9] Females lay 60-70 egg cases, which measure 5–8 centimetres (2.0–3.1 in) in length and 3–5 centimetres (1.2–2.0 in) wide.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "IUCN | Raja montagui". www.iucn.it.
  2. ^ "Raja montagui". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Bilješke". Institut za oceanografiju i ribarstvo - Split. June 27, 1974 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Changes in the North Sea Ecosystem and Their Causes: Århus 1975 Revisited : Proceedings of an ICES International Symposium Held in Århus, Denmark, 11-14 July 1995". International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. June 27, 1996 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Guide of Mediterranean Skates and Rays (Raja montagui). Oct. 2022. Mendez L., Bacquet A. and F. Briand. http://www.ciesm.org/Guide/skatesandrays/raja-montagui
  6. ^ a b c Ebert, David A.; Dando, Marc (2021). Field Guide to Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras of Europe and the Mediterranean. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-691-20598-4.
  7. ^ "Spotted ray | The Wildlife Trusts". www.wildlifetrusts.org.
  8. ^ "MarLIN - The Marine Life Information Network - Spotted Ray (Raja montagui)". www.marlin.ac.uk.
  9. ^ a b "Raja montagui, Spotted ray : fisheries". www.fishbase.se.
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  • Wikispecies logo Data related to Raja montagui at Wikispecies
  • Fishbase Database: Raja montagui

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