Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Rajiformes (Skates and rays) >
Rajidae (Skates)
Etymology: Breviraja: Latin, brevis = short, brief + Latin raja = ray (Raja sp.) (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: No etymology is given but we believe the skate to be named after Russell Jordan Coles (d: 1865). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 366 - 522 m (Ref. 26282). Deep-water; 18°N - 28°N, 85°W - 70°W (Ref. 114953)
Western Central Atlantic: Florida (USA), Bahamas and Cuba.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 114953)
Short rostral cartilage. Disc rough with small prickles on adults of both sexes. Upper surface of disc pale brown, mottled with irregular spots and blotches of darker brown. Lower surface of disc and of tail pale yellowish or whitish (Ref. 6902).
Solitary (Ref. 26340). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205). Smallest recorded specimen 8 cm TL. Males reaches maturity at ca. 32 cm TL (Ref. 114953).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205).
Last, P.R., S. Weigmann and L. Yang, 2016. Changes to the nomenclature of the skates (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes). In: Last and Yearsley (eds.). Rays of the World: Supplementary Information. CSIRO Special Publication. 11-34. (Ref. 118749)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: bycatch
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 9 - 16.9, mean 12.8 °C (based on 23 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00302 (0.00141 - 0.00645), b=3.24 (3.07 - 3.41), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100).