Spiny deepsea skate
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 Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
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| Notoraja spinifera (Garrick & Paul, 1974) |
The spiny deepsea skate, Notoraja spinifera, is a skate of the genus Notoraja, found around New Zealand, at depths of from 170 to 1,400 m on the continental shelf. Their length is from 60 to 80 cm.
The spiny deepsea skate is a medium-sized deepwater ray of rounded shape, with a short snout and two small dorsal fins near the tip of the tail. It is very similar to the prickly deepsea skate the main difference being that the spiny deepsea skate has small prickles completely covering the dorsal surface of the disc. The smooth loose skin is dark brown on the upper surfaces.
Its diet is fishes and shrimps.
Eggs are oblong capsules with pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats.
[edit] References
- "Notoraja spinifera". 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
