Species: Breviraja nigriventralis, Blackbelly shortskate

Breviraja nigriventralis McEchran & Matheson, 1985

Blackbelly shortskate

Heart-shaped disc, slightly wider (1.16X) 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; mouth strongly arched on each side of center, center of lower jaws like a spatula that overlaps indented center of top jaw; pelvic fin with 2 distinct lobes joined by membrane, rear lobe large, front lobe 76-90% length of rear lobe; upper surface of disc evenly covered with small denticles , sparse on rear lobe of pelvic, absent on front lobe; thorns not conspicuously large, with smooth basal cones, 6-9 in a semicircle around inside edges of eyes, a triangular patch of 11-23 on nape and shoulders, 3 central rows of small thorns from behind shoulders to first dorsal fin, with another row on each side from center of disc to middle of tail; underside of disc and tail smooth; tail 1.45-1.6X length of disc, width of its base distinctly >eye;  tail with 2 dorsal fins, those touching at base; tail fin with upper lobe that is ½ height of 2nd dorsal fin &, lower lobe present, short and very low; side of tail with a narrow fold along rear ¼ to tail tip; sex organs of males rod-shaped, tapering to a narrow tip.

Top surface of disc tanish grey to black; dorsal fins and tail fin black; lower surface black, except for pale areas under snout, center of belly, front of pectoral axils and rear margin of disc.

Reaches 44 cm.

On soft bottoms

Depth range 549-805m.

Panama to French Guyana