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Species: Leucoraja garmani, Leopard Skate, Rosette Skate

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

snout tip firm, not long, sides slighty convex
nape - triangular patches thorns
top - rosettes of dark spots
center back - 1-3 rows thorns each side
tail: cross-bars of spots
belly pale
tail rows thorns center & sides

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.


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