Leucoraja erinacea

Leucoraja erinacea
Little Skate – Leucoraja erinacea
FamilyScientific NameAuthorYearCommon Name
RajidaeLeucoraja erinacea(Mitchill)1825Little Skate

All Leucoraja — Tip of snout firm; rostral cartilage moderately stout to stout. Anterior pectoral-fin rays distinctly separated from tip of snout. Snout generally not elongated. Anterolateral margin of disc straight to slightly convex (line connecting tip of snout to anterior aspect of lateral corner of disc intersecting disc). Ampullar pores on ventral surface of disc not darkly pigmented. Midrow thorns on disc (if present) small to moderate in size and without stellate bases; more than 15 midrow thorns on tail between axil of pelvic fins and first dorsal fin.

Leucoraja erinacea

Unique Characters: Brown to grayish dorsally with small, irregular scattered spots. Denticles on snout, around eyes, on pectoral fins, and down sides of tail. Lacks row of denticles along midline.

Similar Species:

Rosette Skate
Leucoraja garmani

Winter Skate
Leucoraja ocellata

Rosette Skate - Leucoraja garmani
Rosette Skate – Leucoraja garmani

Rosette Skate Leucoraja garmani. Tan to brown dorsally with small, dark and pale spots that form rosettes around a dark center. Spots form bands on tail. Ventral area whitish. Thorns on scapular and nuchal region of disc forming triangular patch; thorns and denticles along tail.

Winter Skate Leucoraja ocellata. Light brown dorsally with dark, closely scattered spots. May also have larger dark blotches. White, ocellated eye-spots usually on pectoral fins. Rows of 3 or more thorns on mid-disk and top of tail.

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