Species: Rostroraja bahamensis, Bahama skate


Rostroraja bahamensis Bigelow & Schroeder, 1965
Bahama skate
Disc rhomboidal, front margins sinuous, outer corners abruptly rounded, rear edges rounded; disc width 1.3+X length; snout rigid, tip with sharp pointed, before eyes 15% of TL; eyes on top of head, with spiracles immediately behind; nostrils a little in front of mouth, with front lobes from nostrils forming a curtain between them and mouth; pectoral rays not extending along sides of snout to near its tip; pelvic fin with 2 distinct lobes joined by membrane, rear lobe large; tail ~50% of TL, with a narrow skin fold down each side behind level of pelvic tips; 2 small dorsal fins near rear of tail, similar in shape, 1st slightly larger, close together but no confluent, with tail fin a very small fold (length ½ length of 2nd dorsal base) confluent behind 2nd dorsal; thorns on upper surface of disc: a few very small thorns on front of snout cartilage, 7-11 thorns around inner edges of eyes (sometimes with a gap in center); nape with a row of 1-4 thorns; a central row of 34-47 alternating large and small thorns from between pectoral insertions to 1st dorsal fin, that row becoming irregular at rear; 3-5 thorns between dorsal fins; a row of 14-15 horizontally oriented, back-pointing thorns along front edges of disc behind level of spiracles; upper surface of disc free of denticles; lower surface with denticles at end of snout and in a dense band along front edges of disc from tip of snout to opposite 1st gill opening.
f
Upper surface pale grey-brown, with a pair of eye-sized, round ocelli, with brown centers and pale outer edges, near the base of and a little behind widest part of each pectoral, occasionally with a 2nd pair of smaller ocelli, behind 1st, near pectoral axils; lower surface white, mucous pores on underside unpigmented.
Lives on soft bottoms.
Reaches 54 cm.
Depth range: 366-412 m.
Bahamas and S Florida

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Offshore
- Offshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
-
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Bathydemersal
- Feeding Group
-
- Herbivore
- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
-
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Mobile benthic worms
- Egg Type
-
- Benthic
- No pelagic larva
- No pelagic phase
- Data
- Global Endemism
-
- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- All species..
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 54
- Depth Range Min
-
- 366
- Depth Range Max
-
- 412