Species: Cruriraja rugosa, Rough legskate

Cruriraja rugosa Bigelow & Schroeder, 1958

Rough legskate

Disc diamond shaped, wider (~1.3X) than long; snout moderately long (before eye 12% TL) and pointed with a simple, sharp point, with a support cartilage; disc front edge weakly convex with short concavity near snout tip, then weakly concave rounded tips of pectoral fins, convex at rear; pectoral fin supports extend 1/3 way along snout; pelvic fins large, deeply indented separation of leg-like front and rear lobes, side of rear lobe not joined to pectoral edge; tail broad at front, tapering to first dorsal fin,  moderately long, length 57-58% TL; lateral tail folds well developed, along rear half of tail; two dorsal fins, medium–sized, similar in size and shape with rounded tips, those very close together (space between them ~1/4 of 1st dorsal base); tail fin with very small, poorly developed upper lobe only; upper surface of disc entirely & uniformly covered with fine denticles, including top of eyes, except along rear edges and on tip of snout; upper surface with thorns (adult): on snout, around inner front and rear edges of eyes; nape with  2 thorns; shoulders without thorns;  thorns along mid-back from rear 1/3 of disc to 1st dorsal fin in a single row of ~47, an additional row of smaller thorns on each side of that low on tail, 1 thorn between dorsal fins; lower body surface without denticles; tail of adults covered with minute denticles above (except along midline), including dorsal fins and underside.

Uniform brown with bluish tinge above, bluish below; tail pale brown above and below, dorsal fins pale brown, with pale blotch on base.

Reaches 49 cm

Soft bottoms

Depth range 366-1174 m

Gulf of Mexico to Venezuela, Hispaniola to Grenada