Bathyraja is a large genus of skates in the family Arhynchobatidae.
The barndoor skate is a species of marine cartilaginous fish in the skate family Rajidae of the order Rajiformes. It is native to the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, and is found from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and the southern side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence south to North Carolina. The fish is one of the largest skates found in the North Atlantic Ocean, reaching lengths up to 1.5 m (5 ft). It is carnivorous, feeding on invertebrates and other fish found near the sea floor.
The deepsea skate is a species of softnose skate, in the family Arhynchobatidae, found in deep water from 362 to 2,906 m, usually on the continental slope. They are distributed from off northern Baja California around Coronado Island and Cortes Bank, north to the Bering Sea, and west to Japan. It is fairly common below 1,000 m, and is taken as bycatch in deepwater trawls and traps. The species name abyssicola comes from the Greek abyssos meaning "bottomless", and cola meaning "living at depths".
The thornback ray, or thornback skate, is a species of ray fish in the family Rajidae.
The big skate is the largest species of skate in the waters off North America. They are found along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Baja California, typically from the intertidal zone to a depth of 120 m (390 ft), and feed on benthic invertebrates and small fishes. They are unusual among skates in that their egg cases may contain up to seven eggs each. This species is one of the most commercially important skates off California and is sold for food.
Bathyraja maculata, the white-blotched skate, is a species of skate from the western North Pacific Ocean. An adult is approximately 1 meter in length, and is found at depths of up to 1 kilometer. Unlike any other known member of the genus Bathyraja, the white-blotched skate has white blotches on a grey to brown dorsal surface, while the ventral side is lighter in color with darker blotches. Dorsal side is rough with spines, while the ventral side is smooth.
The Pacific white skate is a species of skate in the family Arhynchobatidae. It is one of the deepest-living of all skates, occurring at a depth of 800 to 2,938 m on the continental slope. It is native to the southeast Pacific Ocean from the Galapagos Islands to off Waldport, Oregon; an egg case and embryo has been collected from the Farallon Islands off San Francisco. Reports of it from the Sea of Okhotsk may represent a different species. Its species name, spinosissima, comes from the Latin spinosus meaning "thorny", referring to its covering of dermal denticles.
Butterfly skate can refer to any of three species of skate:
The Aleutian skate is a species of skate in the family Arhynchobatidae. It lives in depths ranging from 15 to 1602 meters in North Pacific Ocean from northern parts of Japan to the Aleutian Islands and southeastern Alaska. It has maximum total length of 161 centimeters. It is the most abundant species of the Bathyraja genus in the eastern Bering Sea slope and throughout the Gulf of Alaska. It is oviparous and produces oblong egg capsules with stiff horn in each corner. The embryo gets its nutrients from the yolk which is at first utilized for growth at a relatively constant rate but later in the development the yolk is absorbed rapidly.
The rock sole is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish that lives on sand and gravel bottoms at depths of up to 575 metres (1,886 ft), though it is most commonly found between 0 and 183 metres. Its native habitat is the temperate waters of the northern Pacific, from Baja California to Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and southeastern parts of the Bering Sea. It grows up to 60 centimetres (24 in) in length and can weigh up to 1.8 kilograms (4.0 lb), and has a maximum recorded lifespan of 22 years.
Jensen's skate, also known as the shortail skate, is a poorly known species of fish discovered in 2004 during a study of bottom ichthyofauna aboard the Norwegian RV G.O. Sars, where four species were identified, including A. jensieni.
The Korean skate is a skate in the family Rajidae, and is the sole member of the genus Hongeo. It was previously classified in the genus Raja as Raja koreana until discoveries identified this species as a member of a distinct genus. It is considered Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to overexploitation.
The Peruvian skate is a large skate found in the southeast Pacific Ocean, off the coasts of Peru, Ecuador, and Chile. It can grow to an estimated 1.1 metres total length, and 1.25 m across. It is known to be a deepwater species; the holotype was caught at a depth of 908 m (2,979 ft), and is generally found at depths of 600–1,100 m (2,000–3,600 ft). Very little is known about its biology.
The clearnose skate is a species of cartilaginous fish in the family Rajidae. R. eglanteria is also known by other common names such as the brier skate and summer skate. Clearnose skates are easily identified by the translucent patches on either side of their snouts and their mottled dorsal surface. They are found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States in shallow waters of the continental shelf.
The graytail skate, or gray tail skate, is a large species of skate in the family Arhynchobatidae, native to the south-western Atlantic Ocean and south-eastern Pacific Ocean. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN. It was caught as part of a commercial fishery around the Falkland Islands and is a bycatch in several other fisheries.
The pita skate is a medium-sized skate in the family Rajidae. The holotype and only known specimen was found in the northern Persian Gulf, in Iraqi waters. It was collected at a depth of less than 15 m (49 ft).
Bathyraja panthera, the leopard skate, is a species of cartilaginous fish in the family Arhynchobatidae. It was first described as a new species in 2011, having been discovered in the Aleutian Islands at depths between 50 to 258 m. It is a moderately large species with a short snout and wide mouth. The dorsal surface is pale greenish-brown, with speckling, round black spots and yellow blotches, giving it its specific name panthera from its resemblance to a leopard skin. It is an egg-bearing species, the eggs being enclosed in egg capsules with horns at the corners.
Dipturus teevani, commonly known as the prickly brown ray or Caribbean skate, is a species of cartilaginous fish in the family Rajidae. The prickly brown ray is medium in size compared to other skates, and is known from a patchy, deep-water distribution in the western Atlantic Ocean.
Raja straeleni, the biscuit skate or spotted skate, is a species of marine fish in the skate family of order Rajiformes. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Beringraja rhina, commonly known as the longnose skate, is a species of skate in the family Rajidae from the northeast Pacific. It is found from the eastern Bering Sea and Alaska to Baja California and the Gulf of California. The longnose skate is found at depths of 9–1,069 m (30–3,507 ft) and often deeper than the big skate. The longnose skate has only recently been associated with the genus Beringraja, having been previously included in Raja until genetic evidence supported reclassification. This issue has not be completely resolved and the scientific name "Raja rhina" is still in widespread use.
