Spotted ray
(Raja montagui)
Image source: Jo's Animal Database
General data
The spotted ray or spotted skate (Raja montagui) is a species of skate in the family Rajidae.
The Spotted ray is found in the Atlantic Ocean from the Irish Sea to Morocco and in the Mediterranean as well.
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.
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0.
Sub-rhomboid in shape with a short rostrum and rounded wing-tips. Upper surface almost smooth in young, but prickly in large specimens, except for bare centers of pectoral fins and hind part of disc, underside nearly smooth; orbital thorns separate, a regular row of 20-50 usually persistent thorns from nape to first dorsal fin; with 1-2 thorns between dorsal fins; 2 equal-sized dorsal fins at end of tail.
Brownish dorsally with numerous small dark spots which do not reach the margin of the disc, frequently with a concentration of dark spots forming a ring around a pale centre on hind part of each pectoral fin, underside white.
