Spotted ray
Species of cartilaginous fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The spotted ray or spotted skate (Raja montagui) is a species of skate in the family Rajidae.[3][4]
| Spotted ray | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Rajiformes |
| Family: | Rajidae |
| Genus: | Raja |
| Species: | R. montagui |
| Binomial name | |
| Raja montagui Fowler, 1910 | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Distribution
The Spotted ray is found in the Atlantic Ocean from the Irish Sea to Morocco and in the Mediterranean as well.[5]
Description
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]
Behaviour
The spotted ray buries itself in sand to ambush prey and avoid predators. It mainly feeds on crustaceans, polychaetes, teleosts and molluscs.[7][8]
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