The spotted ray or spotted skate (Raja montagui) is a species of skate in the family Rajidae.[3][4]
Spotted ray | |
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Conservation status | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Order: | Rajiformes |
Family: | Rajidae |
Genus: | Raja |
Species: | R. montagui |
Binomial name | |
Raja montagui Fowler, 1910 | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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The spotted ray mostly lives in the waters around Great Britain and Ireland, occasionally ranging south to the Mediterranean.[5]
Like all rays, the spotted ray has a flattened body with broad, wing-like pectoral fins. The body is sub-rhomboid. The dorsum is brown with dark spots.
Its maximum length is 80 cm (2.6 ft), making it one of the smallest skates.[6]
The spotted ray buries itself in sand to ambush prey and avoid predators. It mainly feeds on crustaceans, polychaetes, teleosts and molluscs.[5][7]
Spotted rays are oviparous with eggs laid in summer. The pups hatch fully formed, about 11.5 cm (4.5 in) long, after 5 or 6 months.[7]
Taxon identifiers |
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