Leucoraja wallacei (Yellowspotted skate)

(Hulley, 1970)

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

Leucoraja wallacei (Yellowspotted skate) [Illustration by Ann Hecht ©]

Identification

A narrow-disked skate with bright yellow spots often in rosettes and whorls, sometimes forming eye-like markings on pectoral bases. Snout short, broad and blunt, disk corners broadly rounded, tail longer than body, disk very rough, with 2 to 4 rows of thorns from midback to 1st dorsal fin. Some individuals are grey-brown above, with white spots.

Size

To 92 cm TL and 53 cm DW.

Range

Most of the coast from Lu"deritz to southern Mozambique. Endemic.

Habitat

Found offshore on soft bottom, at 95 to 432 m.

Biology

Very common. Eats eels, dragonets, rattails, lanternfish, mysids, shrimp, hermit crabs, copepods, amphipods, bivalves, polychaete worms, and fish offal.

Human Impact

Caught by hake trawlers.

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