Species: Malacoraja senta, Smooth skate, Smooth-tail skate

snout pointed, tip firm
pectorals end before snout tip
disc thorns: shoulder to D, 1 row of 30-40
no thorns on rear 1/3 tail

Malacoraja senta (Garman, 1885)
Smooth skate, Smooth-tail skate
Disc broadly heart-shaped, wider than long, corners broadly rounded, outer edges very thin; snout pointed, narrowly angled, moderately, long tip firm; pectorals separate from snout tip; anterior disc margins straight (mature males weakly undulated); nasal curtain in front of mouth without a pair of pits at front corners; pelvic fins with two lobes; tail length slightly >50% TL; upper disc of females & juveniles densely covered in velvet-like denticles, mature males with center of disc largely smooth; underside of disc smooth, except a band of denticles along ½ of front edge nearest snout; tail edged with, or totally covered with dermal denticles, (may be smooth in mature males); thorns around inner edges of eyes, on nape and shoulders; central row of 30-40 thorns from shoulders to 1st dorsal fin on tail those dwindling in size rearward and disappearing on rear ½-1/3 among dense denticles, well before first dorsal fin; lateral rows of thorns on disc and tail absent.
Medium greyish-brown above, with obscure dark mottling and spots and sometimes pale blotches; small juveniles with 2 to 4 pale, dark edged cross-bars along tail; underside of disc and pelvic fins white, occasionally with a few small dusky spots on outer pectoral fins and snout; underside of tail white, or irregularly dark blotched, or rear 1/3 all dark.
Reaches 71 cm TL.
Lives on soft and hard bottoms.
Depth range 25-1436 m, usually 70-480 m
Gulf of St Lawrence to South Carolina.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- In & Offshore
- Offshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Mangrove
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic worms
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
-
- Benthic
- No pelagic larva
- No pelagic phase
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends North of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Continent only
- Residency
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- Vagrant
- Climate Zone
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- Temperate (>35N)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Endangered
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 71
- Depth Range Min
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- 25
- Depth Range Max
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- 1436