Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Rajiformes (Skates and rays) >
Rajidae (Skates)
Etymology: Dipturus: Greek, di = two + Greek, pteryx = fin (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 15 - 900 m (Ref. 11284), usually 200 - ? m. Deep-water; 65°N - 15°N, 19°W - 36°E
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4426)
Eastern Atlantic: central Norway to Senegal, including the Faeroes, Skagerrak, Mediterranean, and the Canary and Madeira islands.
Found in deeper slope waters (Ref. 4426), but mainly around 200 m (Ref. 3167). Found on sand and sand-rock bottoms (Ref. 6808). Feed on all kinds of bottom animals (Ref. 3167). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 6808. Become sexually mature at a length of about 120 cm (Ref. 35388). 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 14.0-23.5 cm long and 11.0-12.0 cm wide (Ref. 41251, 41304).
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.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
More information
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00140 (-0.11199 - 0.11480), b=3.21 (3.13 - 3.28), based on LWR estimates for species & family-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.37 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming tm>5).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (77 of 100) .