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Species: Breviraja colesi, Lightnose Skate, Sheathsnout Short Skate

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disc heart-shaped, front edge undulating
snout flexible, short, blunt, pale underneath
1 central interrupted row thorns: nape to D
top disc mottled + ocelli
pelvic: front lobe 65-80% rear lobe

Breviraja colesi Bigelow & Schroder, 1948

Lightnose Skate, Sheathsnout Short Skate

Heart-shaped disc, slightly wider (~1.1X) than long, with front margins undulating, tips of pectorals round; snout flexible, short, blunt, supported to near its tip by a cartilage with a very slender tip; pectoral rays extending nearly to tip 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; pelvic fin with 2 distinct lobes joined by membrane, rear lobe large, front lobe 65-80% length of rear lobe; upper surface of disc covered with closeset small denticles, except around rear edges; thorns not conspicuously large, with smooth basal cones, a patch on snout, 10-11 along inner half of eyes, a pair on nape, 4-5 on each shoulder, oneinterrupted central row along back 6 behind nape to pectoral base, then 6 more widely spaced to pelvic base, then ~44 close-set and irregularly arranged along tail back to 1st dorsal fin, each side of tail with 2-3 rows of larger thorns that become more crowded towards the rear; underside of disc and tail smooth; tail 1.4X length of disc, width of its base distinctly >eye; tail with 2 dorsal fins, those touching, tail fin with poorly developed upper lobe, no lower lobe; side of tail with a narrow fold from beyond tips of pelvics to tail tip; sex organs of males rod-shaped, tapering to a narrow tip.

Top surface of disc tan, with scattered dark blotches and spots, plus whitish spots ringed with dark brown; lower surface white to yellow.

Reaches 40 cm.

On soft bottoms

Depth range 220-549 m.

SE Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, Nicaragua


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Offshore
  • Offshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Bathydemersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic worms
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Data
  • No pelagic larva
  • No pelagic phase
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Data deficient
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 40
Depth Range Min
  • 220
Depth Range Max
  • 549