Not just Shark
Pictures: Elasmodiver contains photos of sharks, skates, rays, and
chimaera's from around the world. It began as a simple web based
field guide to help divers find the best places to encounter
different species of sharks and rays but it has slowly evolved into
a much larger project containing information on all aspects of shark
diving and photography. There are now more than a thousand shark
pictures and sections on shark evolution, biology, and
conservation. There is a large library of reviewed shark books, a
constantly outdated shark taxonomy page, a monster list of shark
links, and deeper in the site there are numerous articles and
stories about shark encounters. Elasmodiver is now so difficult to
check for updates, that new information and pictures are listed on
an Elasmodiver Updates Page that can be accessed here:
If you're looking
for a broader range of marine life pictures the following links
represent a new area of elasmodiver.com that contains pictures of
other marine organisms and of marine habitats. This expansion of
Elasmodiver is in its first stages but will eventually include pages
on all types of marine mammals, bony fishes and marine invertebrates
as well as coastal habitats, reefscapes and other imagess relating
to the ocean. Please return regularly to enjoy the progress.
Winter skate, Big skate,
Spotted skate, Eyed skate.
Latin Names: Raja ocellata,
Leucoraja ocellata
Family: Rajidae
Identification: Rhomboid disc. Anterior disc margin blunter than a right
angle bulging opposite the eyes. Bluntly rounded snout, more concave towards the
blunt pectoral fin tips. Anterior surface tan or brown to gray with a pattern of
dark spots. 1 to 4 white eyespots may be present towards the rear of the
pectoral fins. This feature is the best way to differentiate this skate from the
little skate at a glance. A band of alar thorns are generally present around the
snout and eyes, along the disc margins (broadening towards the posterior edge),
and along the tail where they are more pronounced. The central line of the tail
is free of thorns. In adult males the claspers trail halfway down the tail
length. Positive identification (when eyespots are missing) can only be made by
counting teeth (72 to 110 in each jaw, 38 to 66 in the Little skate).
Size: 30" to 34" Maximum 42". At 32" long the disc
width is approximately 20"
Habitat: Sandy slopes sometimes adjacent to rocky reefs. From intertidal
to 600ft. Most common around 200ft but easily found in shallower areas.
Abundance and distribution: Western Atlantic, from Newfoundland to North
Carolina. Common along the New England coastline.
Behavior: The
Winter skate comes closer to shore in the cooler months, in the southern part of
its range. Diurnal, lays motionless partially covered in sand during the day.
Forages for rock crabs and squid at night, as well as annelid worms, amphipods,
shrimps, and razor clams. Will also eat fish when available.
Reproduction:
Oviparous. Lays oval egg capsules (known as mermaid’s
purses) with 4 pointed corners that it attaches to rocks and seaweed with sticky
tendrils. Reproduction takes place in summer and fall.
Observations:
Whilst watching these skates swimming close to the sand,
they appeared to use a pointed section on the outer portions of their pelvic
fins to pull themselves along. I have not read of this so it may be just a
finning action. Please let me know if anyone can confirm this.
Photographs:
Back Beach and Kettle Island, Cape Ann peninsula,
Massachusetts.
Similar species:
Little skate – Raja erinacea
Reaction to divers:
Skittish but will allow slow approach.
Diving logistics:
A great place to find this skate in the summer months
is Back Beach outside of Rockport, Cape Ann, Mass. A shore dive here is very
easy and the pebble beach increases visibility. Dive flag required by state law.
Air can be obtained from Cape Ann Divers who are also very knowledgeable about
dives in the area and can supply directions to other shore diving and organize
charters.
Other diving locations submitted by readers:
References:
Fishes of the Gulf of Maine – Bigelow and Schroeder.
