Prickly deepsea skate
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 Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
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| Notoraja asperula (Garrick & Paul, 1974) |
The prickly deepsea skate, Notoraja asperula, is a skate of the genus Notoraja, found around New Zealand, at depths of from 200 to 1,300 m on the continental shelf. Their length is from 30 to 50 cm.
The prickly deepsea skate is a small deepwater ray of rounded shape, with a short snout and two small dorsal fins near the tip of the tail.
The soft skin is dark brown on the upper surfaces with a central narrow band of prickles on the hind part of the body and the tail.
Its diet is fishes and shrimps.
Eggs are oblong capsules (3.7 cm long and 2.2 cm wide) with stiff pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats.
[edit] References
- "Notoraja asperula". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
