Sandy ray
Species of cartilaginous fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The sandy ray (Leucoraja circularis) or sandy skate[2] is a species of ray in the family Rajidae.[3][4]
| Sandy ray | |
|---|---|
| |
| Illustration of dorsal surface, Jonathan Couch | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Rajiformes |
| Family: | Rajidae |
| Genus: | Leucoraja |
| Species: | L. circularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Leucoraja circularis (Couch, 1838) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Raia circularis | |
Description
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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] Its ventral surface is white in colour with pale grey margins, and the area around its snout is rough in texture. There are 8 orbital thorns around the eyes of the sandy skate, and adult males have both alar and malar thorns. Its upper and lower jaws have between 64-84 rows of teeth.[6]
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).[7] It lives on seabeds with substrates of sand and mud.[6] According to the FAO this species should be considered extinct in Mediterranean Sea, but recent records contradict this view.[8]
