Species: Caliraja inornata, California Skate

Caliraja inornata (Jordan & Gilbert, 1881)

California Skate

Rhomboidal disc of flattened, pointed head, body and pectoral fins, slightly wider than long; snout rigid, sharply pointed, with concave sides at its base, its length 12.3-16.4% of TL; 36-40 rows of teeth on upper jaw; large spiracles behind eyes; pelvic fins deeply notched, with 2 distinct lobes, rear one larger; tail shorter than disc; 2 small dorsal fins at rear of tail, very small tail fin; thorns small, thin, not grooved, with oval bases; no thorns around or just behind eyes, or on shoulders; 0-7 nucal thorns; 1 row of 10-66 thorns along tail with additional lateral rows, extending sometimes onto mid-back; 1 thorn between dorsal fins; top of disc with scattered small denticles.

Olive brown above, white to pale tan below; sometimes dark mottling, occasionally a dark ocellus or spots at base of each pectoral.

Size: 76 cm.

Habitat: soft bottoms, in bays.

Depth: 13-1600 m.

Canada to the Gulf of California.