THE FINS UNITED INITIATIVE
  • About TFUI
    • TFUI Origins >
      • About TFUI Founder Melissa
      • TFUI Officers
    • Take a Bite
    • Get Involved
    • FAQ
  • Bite Blog
  • Education
    • The Sharks >
      • Shark Anatomy
    • The Skates & Rays
    • The Chimaeras
    • Why Environments Matter
    • The Threats
    • Open Access >
      • Behind the Fins: Interview series
      • Bite into Research
      • Shark Bites: Book Recommendations
      • Sustainable Seafood Apps
  • Fins United
    • Shark Party Ideas
    • Little Fins Nursery
    • Big Fins Reef
  • Contact

Boreal skate

2/9/2017

 
Picture
Jones, D.O.B., Gates, A.R., Curry, R.A., Thomson, M., Pile, A., Benfield, M. (Eds) (2009). SERPENT project. Media database archive. Available online at: http://archive.serpentproject.com/1253/
The boreal skate (Amblyraja hyperborea) is the opposite of what I am: anti-tropical. Found in the temperate parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, they are common residents of lower continental slopes off southern Australia and New Zealand, recorded from 980 to 2000 m deep. 
A greyish brown colour, their dorsal side sports large dusky blotches and they have a dark tipped snout. Their disc has a row of thorns that leads to its tail, which has six dark saddles. The underbelly of these animals is usually dark grey with the mouth, gills, cloaca and snout being a bit paler in colour. Their low-lying dorsal fins are also dark in colour, as are their claspers. Reaching up to 107 cm, males usually mature at 94 cm (females are currently unknown).

Like many Chondrichthyans, their diet and reproduction are unknown, but due to their depth the IUCN has assessed this skate as Least Concern (LC).

did you know about this animal?

glossary

  • Benthic zone: The bottom of an ocean or lake.
  • Benthopelagic zone: The region about 100 meters off the bottom.
  • Claspers: Sexual reproduction organs found on male elasmobranchs and chimaeras.
  • Cloaca: Also called the vent; the opening to their digestive, reproductive and urinary tracts.
  • Continental shelf: Extends from a continent underwater, resulting in a shallow-water area.
  • Continental slope: Steep slope descending from continental shelf to the continental rise; typically about 20 km (12.4 miles) wide, consisting of mud and silt.
  • Dorsal fin: Fin located on the back.
  • Insular slope: The shelf around an island.
  • IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.
  • Temperate waters: The water between tropical seas and the Polar Regions (10-21° C, 50-69.8° F).
  • Tropical waters: Waters that are between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S).

say hello!

you may also like:

Picture
BLUESPOTTED RIBBONTAIL RAY
Picture
PRICKLY SKATE
Picture
BLUE SKATE

Comments are closed.

    Author

    TFUI Founder Melissa C. Marquez is author of all animal bios and "Behind the Fins" segments.
    ​
    A proud #LatinainSTEM, Marquez is a marine biologist who focuses on shark habitat use and movements; she is also a science communicator (follow her on Twitter) who focuses on diverse Chondrichthyan education and who focuses on the media coverage of sharks.
    You can learn more about her on her website.

    SEE MELISSA'S TEDx TALK HERE:

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Subscribe to The Fins United Initiative's monthly newsletter.

    SEARCH BY CATEGORIES

    Picture
    SHARKS
    Picture
    SKATES &
    ​RAYS
    Picture
    CHIMAERA

    READER FAVORITES

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM

    @finsunitedinitiative
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • About TFUI
    • TFUI Origins >
      • About TFUI Founder Melissa
      • TFUI Officers
    • Take a Bite
    • Get Involved
    • FAQ
  • Bite Blog
  • Education
    • The Sharks >
      • Shark Anatomy
    • The Skates & Rays
    • The Chimaeras
    • Why Environments Matter
    • The Threats
    • Open Access >
      • Behind the Fins: Interview series
      • Bite into Research
      • Shark Bites: Book Recommendations
      • Sustainable Seafood Apps
  • Fins United
    • Shark Party Ideas
    • Little Fins Nursery
    • Big Fins Reef
  • Contact