Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Classis: Chondrichthyes
Subclassis: Elasmobranchii
Superordo: Rajomorphii
Ordo: Rajiformes
Familia: Rajidae
Subfamilia: Rajinae
Genus: Raja
Species: Raja montagui
Name
Raja montagui Fowler, 1910
References
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Swedish Museum of Natural History Ichthyology name database
Vernacular names
English: Homelyn ray or Spotted ray
français: Raie douce
svenska: Fläckrocka
The spotted ray or spotted skate (Raja montagui) is a species of skate in the family Rajidae.[3][4]
Distribution
The Spotted ray is found in the Atlantic Ocean from the Irish Sea to Morocco and in the Mediterranean as well.[5]
Description
Photograph
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]
Life cycle
Spotted ray egg case
Spotted rays are oviparous with eggs laid in summer. The pups hatch fully formed, about 11.5 cm (4.5 in) long, after 5 or 6 months.[8]
See also
Fish of the Atlantic Ocean
Fish of the Mediterranean Sea
References
"IUCN | Raja montagui". www.iucn.it.
"Raja montagui". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
"Bilješke". Institut za oceanografiju i ribarstvo - Split. June 27, 1974 – via Google Books.
"Changes in the North Sea Ecosystem and Their Causes: Århus 1975 Revisited : Proceedings of an ICES International Symposium Held in Århus, Denmark, 11-14 July 1995". International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. June 27, 1996 – via Google Books.
Guide of Mediterranean Skates and Rays (Raja montagui). Oct. 2022. Mendez L., Bacquet A. and F. Briand. http://www.ciesm.org/Guide/skatesandrays/raja-montagui
"Spotted ray | The Wildlife Trusts". www.wildlifetrusts.org.
"MarLIN - The Marine Life Information Network - Spotted Ray (Raja montagui)". www.marlin.ac.uk.
"Raja montagui, Spotted ray : fisheries". www.fishbase.se.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
