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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Hosta

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The sandy ray (Leucoraja circularis) or sandy skate[2] is a species of ray in the family Rajidae.[3][4]

Description

Diagram from The fishes of Great Britain and Ireland (1884)

It maximum length is 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in), typical adults measuring 70 cm (2.3 ft). It has a short snout with a spinulose reddish-brown dorsal surface, a tail only slightly longer than body, and a white underside. A distinctive feature is the 4–6 creamy-coloured spots on each wing.[5]

Habitat

The sandy ray lives in the demersal zone of the offshore waters of Western Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, at depths between 70 m (230 ft) and 676 m (2,218 ft).[6] According to the FAO this species should be considered extinct in Mediterranean Sea, but recent records contradict this view.[7]

Behaviour

The sandy ray lays its eggs between August and November and feeds on benthic invertebrates and small bony fish.[8]

References

  1. ^ International), Sonja Fordham (Shark Advocates; Group), Jim Ellis (IUCN SSC Shark Specialist; Group), Rachel Walls (IUCN SSC Shark Specialist; McCully, Sophy (October 30, 2014). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Leucoraja circularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  2. ^ Carrier, Jeffrey C.; Musick, John A.; Heithaus, Michael R. (March 9, 2010). Sharks and Their Relatives II: Biodiversity, Adaptive Physiology, and Conservation. CRC Press. ISBN 9781420080483 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Leucoraja circularis, Sandy ray : Fisheries".
  4. ^ "sandy-ray-leucoraja-circularis-the-shark-trust". yumpu.com.
  5. ^ "MarLIN - The Marine Life Information Network - Sandy ray (Leucoraja circularis)". www.marlin.ac.uk.
  6. ^ "Leucoraja circularis, Sandy ray : fisheries". www.fishbase.se. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  7. ^ Guide of Mediterranean Skates and Rays (Leucoraja circularis). Oct. 2022. Mendez L., Bacquet A. and F. Briand. https://ciesm.org/marine/programs/skatesandrays/leucoraja-circularis/
  8. ^ Last, Peter; Naylor, Gavin; Séret, Bernard; White, William; Stehmann, Matthias; Carvalho, Marcelo de (December 1, 2016). Rays of the World. Csiro Publishing. ISBN 9780643109155 – via Google Books.


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