Dipturus doutrei (Javelin skate)

(Cadenat, 1960)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Chondrichthyes > Elasmobranchii > Batoidei > Rajoidei > Rajidae

Dipturus doutrei (Javelin skate) [Illustration by Ann Hecht ©]

Identification

An all-dark longnose skate with an acutely triangular, elongated snout, disk with narrowly rounded outer corners, a stout tail shorter than the body and with its midsection swollen and sausage-shaped, no thorns on nape and along back, and underside of disk largely smooth except for small denticles on snout. Colour dark brown above, with scattered irregular dark blotches, blackish on rear end of disk and pelvic fins, underside dark brown with scattered lighter blotches on disk, at base of pelvic fins, around vent, and on tail, and black pores

Size

To 1.0 m TL and 75 cm DW

Range

West coast, north-central Namibia; wide-ranging in deep water off tropical West Africa, from Senegal to the area

Habitat

Slope in 450 to 600 m depth

Biology

Unknown.

Human Impact

None

Text by Leonard J.V. Compagno, David A. Ebert and Malcolm J. Smale