Genus: Cruriraja, Pygmy Skate, Rough Leg Skates

CRURIRAJA

ROUGH LEG SKATES

Disc quadrangular to diamond shaped, wider than long; snout short, simple, sharp point, with a support cartilage, no filamentous tip, usually <15% TL; disc front edge weakly convex with short concavity near snout tip, then weakly concave, rounded tips of pectoral fins, convex at rear; pelvic fins large, deeply indented separation of leg-like front and rear lobes; tail broad at front, tapering to first dorsal fin, moderately long, longer than disc length; lateral tail folds long and well developed; two dorsal fins, medium–sized, similar in size and shape; upper surface with fine denticles, upper surface with thorns (adult): 0 to 5 rostral thorns; 8 to 14 regularly spaced thorns around outer side and rear of eyes; nuchal thorns 0 to 3; shoulder thorns in close–set irregular patches of 2-9; thorns along mid-back in 1 to 9 rows, then 3-5 rows along tail, 39-47 before dorsal fins, 2-6 between those fins; lower body surface without denticles.

Atlantic and Indian oceans; 8 species, 4 in the greater Caribbean