Species: Breviraja colesi, Lightnose Skate, Sheathsnout Short Skate
snout flexible, short, blunt, pale underneath

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

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore
- Offshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bathydemersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic worms
- 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 + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 40
- Depth Range Min
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- 220
- Depth Range Max
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- 549