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