Little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) fish species and information / pictures of Little skate - Leucoraja erinacea

Little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) fish species information

Scientific Name
Leucoraja erinacea

Common Name
Little skate

Biology
Usually on sandy or gravelly bottoms from shoal waters to 90 m depth (Ref. 7251), with temperature range of 1.2-21?C. Benthic (Ref. 5951). Mostly inactive during daylight, but active under dark conditions (Ref. 10807). Oviparous. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother (Ref. 205). Eggs are oblong capsules with stiff pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats (Ref. 205). Egg capsules are 4.6-6.3 cm long and 2.7-4.8 cm wide, about 10-35 eggs are laid annually (Ref. 41250). Possesses an electric organ located in the tail region (Ref. 10807). Electric organ discharge (EOD) activity is intermittent (Ref. 10011) and seemed more frequent during dark periods (Ref. 10808). The individual EOD of this species is monophasic, head-negative, and lasts 70 ms (Ref. 10011).

Classification

Classified By

Mitchill, 1825

Class

Sharks and Rays (Elasmobranchii)

Order

Skates and Rays (Rajiformes)

Family

Skates (Rajidae)

Distribution

Region

Western Atlantic

Distribution

Western Atlantic: southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and Nova Scotia in Canada to North Carolina, USA.

Range

49°N - 33°N, 78°W - 59°W

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

329 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 329 m (Ref. 5951)

Trophic Level

3.57 s.e. 0.50 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

54.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Unknown

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (44 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.29-0.35; tm=4.5; Fec=10)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Near Threatened (NT)