| Family: |
Gurgesiellidae (Pygmy skates) |
| Max. size: |
55 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathydemersal; marine; depth range 150 - 620 m |
| Distribution: |
Western Indian Ocean: KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to Mozambique. Previous records from Namibia to the Eastern Cape Coast of South Africa refer to Cruriraja hulleyi. |
| Diagnosis: |
A rough legskate with a pointed snout covered by large conspicuous white thorns that are also found around the eyes, on the shoulders, and in several rows from the nape to the 1st dorsal fin (Ref. 5578). Legskates have pelvic fins separated into a mobile leg-like front lobe, and a rear lobe that may be fused to the tail base (Ref. 5578). Sandy brown above usually with scattered dark brown and whitish spots (very conspicuous in young and becoming obscure in adults; white below (Ref. 5578). Tail with conspicuous dark brown bandings in juveniles (Ref. 5578). |
| Biology: |
Found on the uppermost slope (Ref. 5578). Feed on small crustaceans, dragonets, squid, polychaete worms and flatworms (Ref. 5578). Oviparous. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother (Ref. 205). Eggs are oblong capsules with stiff pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats (Ref. 205). Egg capsules are 4.5 cm long and 2.4 cm wide (Ref. 41249). Caught by hake bottom trawlers (Ref. 5578). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 24 April 2018 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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