Species: Cruriraja atlantis, Atlantic Pygmy Skate, Cuban Limbed Skate

Cruriraja atlantis Bigelow & Schroeder, 1948

Atlantic Pygmy Skate, Cuban Limbed Skate

Disc quadrangular, wider than long; snout with a simple, sharp point, with a support cartilage; disc front edge with shallow concavities near snout tip and behind level of eyes (this more strongly concave in male), rounded tips of pectoral fins, convex at rear; pelvic fins large, deeply indented separation of leg-like front and rear lobes; tail broad at front, tapering to first dorsal fin, moderately long, 10% longer than disc length; lateral tail folds long and well developed; two dorsal fins, medium–sized, similar in size and shape with rounded tips, those far apart, separated by a space 2.5X base of 1st dorsal; upper surface uniformly and thickly covered with fine denticles, except tip of snout and a narrow band around rear edge of pectoral and on pelvic fins, denticles larger in area between eyes and edge of pectorals; upper surface with thorns (adult): on rostrum (2-3 rows), 11 around inner edges of eyes, 7 along nape and 2-3 pairs on shoulders; rear half of disc with a central row of thorns that blends into 6-7 rows along top and sides of front of tail (row of thorns along each side of central row lacking in male), reducing to 2-3 rows at front of dorsal fins, 1-2 rows between dorsal fins; lower surface of disc and tail, and pelvic fins without denticles or thorns. Juvenile: denticles along center of disc but not on pectorals, 4-5 thorns along each inner edge of eye, only 2-3 thorns on nape and back to pectoral axils, then 1-2 rows along top of tail and between dorsal fins.

Upper surface pale brown, with faded cross-bars at levels of dorsal fins; dorsal fins black; lower surface pale, with dark blotches on belly, rear disc and rear lobes of pelvic fins (front lobes darker in male).

Reaches 34 cm

Lives on soft bottoms

Depth range 512-788 m

SE Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba