Spotted ray
Appearance
Spotted ray | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
Superorder: | Batoidea |
Order: | Rajiformes |
Family: | Rajidae |
Genus: | Raja |
Species: | R. montagui
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Binomial name | |
Raja montagui Fowler, 1910
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Synonyms[2] | |
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The spotted ray or spotted skate (Raja montagui) is a species of skate in the family Rajidae.[3][4]
Distribution
[edit]The Spotted ray is found in the Atlantic Ocean from the Irish Sea to Morocco and in the Mediterranean as well.[5]
Description
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Raja_montagui.jpg/220px-Raja_montagui.jpg)
Like all rays, the spotted ray has a flattened body with broad, wing-like pectoral fins. The body is sub-rhomboid. The dorsum is brown with dark spots.
Its maximum length is 80 cm (2.6 ft), making it one of the smallest skates.[6]
Behaviour
[edit]The spotted ray buries itself in sand to ambush prey and avoid predators. It mainly feeds on crustaceans, polychaetes, teleosts and molluscs.[7][8]
Life cycle
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Spotted_Ray_Eggcase_%28Raja_montagui%29_-_Flickr_-_gailhampshire.jpg/220px-Spotted_Ray_Eggcase_%28Raja_montagui%29_-_Flickr_-_gailhampshire.jpg)
Spotted rays are oviparous with eggs laid in summer. The pups hatch fully formed, about 11.5 cm (4.5 in) long, after 5 or 6 months.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "IUCN | Raja montagui". www.iucn.it.
- ^ "Raja montagui". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "Bilješke". Institut za oceanografiju i ribarstvo - Split. June 27, 1974 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Changes in the North Sea Ecosystem and Their Causes: Århus 1975 Revisited : Proceedings of an ICES International Symposium Held in Århus, Denmark, 11-14 July 1995". International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. June 27, 1996 – via Google Books.
- ^ Guide of Mediterranean Skates and Rays (Raja montagui). Oct. 2022. Mendez L., Bacquet A. and F. Briand. http://www.ciesm.org/Guide/skatesandrays/raja-montagui
- ^ "Spotted ray | The Wildlife Trusts". www.wildlifetrusts.org.
- ^ "MarLIN - The Marine Life Information Network - Spotted Ray (Raja montagui)". www.marlin.ac.uk.
- ^ a b "Raja montagui, Spotted ray : fisheries". www.fishbase.se.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raja montagui.
Data related to Raja montagui at Wikispecies
- Fishbase Database: Raja montagui