Species: Fenestraja atripinna, Blackfin pygmy-skate, Blackfinned windowskate

central disc thorns: 1 row at front, gap, 3 rows at rear
shoulder 3-4 thorns
Ds far apart

Fenestraja atripinna (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1950)
Blackfinned windowskate, Blackfin pygmy-skate
Heart-shaped disc with front margins slightly undulating; disc width 1.2X disc length; snout short (before eyes 10% TL); tip of snout pointed, flexible, not elongate; front pectoral fin rays extend nearly to tip of snout; eyes on top of head, large (~space between them), with spiracles immediately behind; nostrils a little in front of mouth, with front lobes from nostrils forming a curtain between them and mouth; no nasal pits before and above nasal curtain; pelvic fin with 2 distinct lobes joined by membrane, front lobe 90% of length of rear lobe; tail 64-65% of TL, base narrow (<eye), lateral folds on rear 2/3; 2 small dorsal fins near rear of tail, with tail fin as a fold behind the second dorsal, distance between them > length of base of the first dorsal; upper surface densely covered with denticles, except tip of snout and rear edges of disc; 12-13 small thorns around inner edges of eyes; 3-4 thorns on each shoulder, nape with a row of 6 then a gap then a central row of 60+ to 1st dorsal fin, those becoming smaller and more separated towards rear, 1 row on each side of rear central disc row, those grading into denticles on tail; tail with dense denticles, a row of small thorns low on each side, denticles between dorsal fins; with denticles on underside of tail.
Upper surface pale pinkish brown; dorsal and tail fins black; tail whitish, with chocolate blotch at front; skin folds on sides of tails transparent at front, black at rear; lower surface chocolate, with whitish blotches before gill slits, rear lobes of pelvics white.
Reaches 29 cm.
Habitat: soft bottoms.
Depth: 366-951 m.
North Carolina to Cuba.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Offshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- 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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- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic worms
- Data
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Benthic
- 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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- Island (s)
- Extends North of GC
- All species..
- GC endemic
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Temperate (>35N)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Data deficient
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 29
- Depth Range Min
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- 366
- Depth Range Max
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- 951