Species: Fenestraja sinusmexicanus, Gulf windowskate, Gulf skate

central disc thorns: 3-4 rows rear disc to D
triangle of thorns: nape & shoulders

Fenestraja sinusmexicanus (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1950)
Gulf windowskate, Gulf skate
Heart-shaped disc with front margins undulating; tip of snout pointed, flexible, not elongate; front pectoral fin rays extend nearly to tip of snout; eyes on top of head, large (~space between them), with spiracles immediately behind; nostrils a little in front of mouth, with front lobes from nostrils forming a curtain between them and mouth; no nasal pits before and above nasal curtain; pelvic fin with 2 distinct lobes joined by membrane, front lobe equal to or only slightly shorter than rear lobe; tail 65-67% of TL, base narrow (<eye); 2 small dorsal fins near rear of tail, with tail fin as a fold behind the second dorsal, distance between them 1/3 of length of base of the first dorsal;upper surface more or less uniformly covered with denticles; thorns around eyes, in a triangular patch on nape & shoulders, 3 rows of thorns along center of rear half of disc and 3-4 rows along top of tail to first dorsal fin; no denticles on underside of tail.
Upper surface purplish brown, sometimes with dark blotches; lower surface yellowish white.
Reaches 36 cm.
Habitat: soft bottoms.
Depth: 56-1784 m.
The Gulf of Mexico to the S Caribbean.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- In & Offshore
- Offshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Mud
- Soft bottom only
- Sand & gravel
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
-
- Benthic
- Data
- No pelagic phase
- No pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- GC endemic
- Island (s)
- Continent
- All species..
- Continent + Island (s)
- Continental primarily
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Data deficient
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 36
- Depth Range Min
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- 56
- Depth Range Max
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- 1784