Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Rajiformes (Skates and rays) > Rajidae (Skates)
Etymology: Rajella: Latin, raja, -ae = a sting ray (Raja sp.) (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 102 - 1098 m (Ref. 106604). Deep-water; 27°S - 40°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Southeast Atlantic: Lüderitz, Namibia to off Cape Agulhas, South Africa.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 65.1 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 106604)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Small skate with a very short, obtusely pointed snout, large, close-set, bulging eyes and a thick disc; tail thick and much longer than body; conspicuous light thorns make disc and tail very rough (Ref. 5578). Light grey to brownish above, with or without darker spots; young with distinctive white-barred pattern; underside white (Ref. 5578).

Found on the upper slope (Ref. 5578). Feed on mysids, lightfishes, and polychaetes (Ref. 5578). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205). Caught by hake trawlers (Ref. 5578).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McEachran, John | Collaborators

McEachran, J.D. and K.A. Dunn, 1998. Phylogenetic analysis of skates, a morphologically conservative clade of elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia 1998(2):271-290. (Ref. 27314)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 24 April 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: bycatch

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
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Predators

Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
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Life cycle
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Maturity/Gills rel.
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Eggs
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Distribution
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Anatomy
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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 6.5 - 13.8, mean 8 °C (based on 11 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00295 (0.00169 - 0.00514), b=3.24 (3.09 - 3.39), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.6 ±0.53 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (46 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Rajella caudaspinosa (von Bonde & Swart, 1923)