Species: Leucoraja garmani, Leopard Skate, Rosette Skate
nape - triangular patches thorns
center back - 1-3 rows thorns each side
belly pale

Leucoraja garmani (Whitley, 1939)
Rosette Skate, Leopard Skate
Disc heartshaped, with front margin slightly concave; snout short and bluntly angled, rigid, not elongate, front edge straight, front pectoral rays extending onto rear ¾ of snout; eyes on top of head, with spiracles immediately behind; nostrils a little in front of mouth, with front lobes from nostrils forming a curtain between them and mouth; 2 small dorsal fins near rear of tail, with tail fin as a fold behind the second dorsal; pelvic fin with 2 distinct lobes joined by membrane, front lobe 48-56% length of rear lobe; ; tail moderately slender, longer than body; thorns on back in a central row of 33-35 from shoulders along tail, with 1-3 irregular rows on each side; thorns on orbital rim in a continuous half-ring; 1-2 thorns between rear of eyes; row of small thorns along each rim of rostrum; many thorns forming a triangle on nape; dorsal fins separated by 1-2 thorns; upper surface of disc covered with coarse, not close-set denticles, everywhere except center of each wing; underside smooth.
Upper surface pale yellowish brown to brown, with diffuse to concentrated rosette pattern of small dark spots; dark spots form narrow bars across top of tail; lower surface yellowish, mucous pores on underside unpigmented.
Reaches 57 cm.
Lives on soft bottoms.
Depth range: 33-800 m.
Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Mexico.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Mud
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic worms
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Egg Type
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- Benthic
- Data
- No pelagic larva
- No pelagic phase
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- Continent only
- GC endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 57
- Depth Range Min
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- 33
- Depth Range Max
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- 800