| Family: |
Rajidae (Skates) |
| Max. size: |
37.1 cm TL (male/unsexed); 41.1 cm TL (female) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; marine; depth range - 27 m |
| Distribution: |
Eastern Central Atlantic: known from Liberia, Senegal (Dakar) and Angola; probably more widspread. |
| Diagnosis: |
This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: subcircular disc, its width 57-60% TL, 1.2 times its length; snout angle 91-96°; short tail, its length 1.2-1.4 times distance from snout tip to rear of cloaca; narrow tail, its width 1.2-1.3 times height at its midlength, 1.1 times at first dorsal-fin origin; pre-upper jaw length 10-13% TL, 1.5-1.8 times internasal width; length of ventral head 24-26% TL; length of snout 3-3.8 times interorbital width; orbit diameter 1.06-0.99 times the interorbital width; height of first dorsal-fin 3.4-3.9 in its base length; procaudal tail long, its length from first dorsal-fin origin to tail tip is 3.8-4.7 times first dorsal-fin base length, 3.4-3.6 times caudal-fin length (base of epichordal lobe of caudal fin very long); relatively short pelvic fins, length of posterior lobe 17-18% TL and of anterior lobe 63-72% of posterior lobe; in adults clasper relatively large, ~24% TL, connected to pelvic-fin inner margin at ~47% of its length from cloaca; anterior margin of head possess denticle bands on both surfaces in adult male; nuchal thorns 2; adult male with well-developed malar thorn patch; thorn rows on tail 3-5; pectoral-fin radials 79-81 in total; trunk centra is usually 27-28; usually 75-86 predorsal centra; total centra ~128-131; 38-46 tooth rows in upper jaw; colour brown dorsally with faint lighter and darker speckling; pectoral ocelli is moderately large, with dark bluish grey spot surrounded by a black and a yellow ring; its ventral surface whitish with reddish yellow snout tip and disc margin (Ref. 110364). |
| Biology: |
Unknown depth range but probably inshore for at least some collected specimens were caught by gill-net (Ref. 110364). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Near Threatened (NT); Date assessed: 04 August 2020 (A2bd) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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