Winter skate

The winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata) is a globally-endangered species of skate found in the surrounding waters of northeastern North America. They inhabit shallow shelf waters and are prone to bycatch during commercial fishing.[2]

Winter Skate
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Superorder: Batoidea
Order: Rajiformes
Family: Rajidae
Genus: Leucoraja
Species:
L. ocellata
Binomial name
Leucoraja ocellata
Mitchill, 1815

Description

The winter skate can reach a maximum size of 109 cm. It reaches maturity around 12 years of age, depending on the sex and area.[3]

Distribution and habitat

This skate can be found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean,[3] ranging from North of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to South of Newfoundland and Labrador.[2] Winter skates prefer sand and gravel habitats.[3] They are primarily found in depths below 111 m and up to 371 m[2] and in temperatures ranging between -1.2 and -15 C.[3]

A dried-up egg case of the winter skate on the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2019.

The local populations of the winter skate are not all evenly distributed. They are facing extirpation in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, for example,[4] resulting in a lot fewer egg cases found on local beaches. Their range has declined 99% from the 1980s to 2015 in that sector[5]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leucoraja ocellata.
  1. "Leucoraja ocellata (Winter Skate)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  2. COSEWIC (2015). "COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata)" (PDF). Retrieved 2022-05-09.
  3. Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2016-12-19). "Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata)". www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
  4. Kelly, J. T.; Hanson, J. M. (March 2013). "Maturity, size at age and predator-prey relationships of winter skate Leucoraja ocellata in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence: potentially an undescribed endemic facing extirpation: BIOLOGY OF SGSL LEUCORAJA OCELLATA". Journal of Fish Biology. 82 (3): 959–978. doi:10.1111/jfb.12030. PMID 23464554.
  5. Government of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada. "Information archivée dans le Web" (PDF). publications.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-05-09.


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