Sandy ray

The sandy ray (Leucoraja circularis) or sandy skate[2] is a species of ray in the family Rajidae.[3][4]

Sandy ray
Illustration of dorsal surface, Jonathan Couch
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Superorder: Batoidea
Order: Rajiformes
Family: Rajidae
Genus: Leucoraja
Species:
L. circularis
Binomial name
Leucoraja circularis
(Couch, 1838)
Synonyms

Raia circularis
Raja circularis
Raja falsavela
Raja falsavela intermedia
Raja falsavela maggiore
Raja (Leucoraja) circularis

Description
Diagram from The fishes of Great Britain and Ireland (1884)

It maximum length is 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in), typical adults measuring 70 cm (2.3 ft). It has a short snout with a spinulose reddish-brown dorsal surface, a tail only slightly longer than body, and a white underside. A distinctive feature is the 4–6 creamy-coloured spots on each wing.[5]

Habitat

The sandy ray lives in the demersal zone of the offshore waters of Western Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, at depths between 70 m (230 ft) and 676 m (2,218 ft).[6] According to the FAO this species should be considered extinct in Mediterranean Sea, but recent records contradict this view.[7]

Behaviour

The sandy ray lays its eggs between August and November and feeds on benthic invertebrates and small bony fish.[8]

References
  1. International), Sonja Fordham (Shark Advocates; Group), Jim Ellis (IUCN SSC Shark Specialist; Group), Rachel Walls (IUCN SSC Shark Specialist; McCully, Sophy (October 30, 2014). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Leucoraja circularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  2. Carrier, Jeffrey C.; Musick, John A.; Heithaus, Michael R. (March 9, 2010). Sharks and Their Relatives II: Biodiversity, Adaptive Physiology, and Conservation. CRC Press. ISBN 9781420080483 – via Google Books.
  3. "Leucoraja circularis, Sandy ray : Fisheries".
  4. "sandy-ray-leucoraja-circularis-the-shark-trust". yumpu.com.
  5. "MarLIN - The Marine Life Information Network - Sandy ray (Leucoraja circularis)". www.marlin.ac.uk.
  6. "Leucoraja circularis, Sandy ray : fisheries". www.fishbase.se. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  7. Guide of Mediterranean Skates and Rays (Leucoraja circularis). Oct. 2022. Mendez L., Bacquet A. and F. Briand. https://ciesm.org/marine/programs/skatesandrays/leucoraja-circularis/
  8. Last, Peter; Naylor, Gavin; Séret, Bernard; White, William; Stehmann, Matthias; Carvalho, Marcelo de (December 1, 2016). Rays of the World. Csiro Publishing. ISBN 9780643109155 – via Google Books.
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