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

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.