Blonde ray

Blonde ray
Conservation status
	; Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	Rajiformes
Family:	Rajidae
Genus:	Raja
Species:	R. brachyura
Binomial name
	Raja brachyura; Lafont, 1871
Synonyms
	Raia blanda Holt, 1894; Raia brachyura Lafont, 1871; Raja blanda Holt, 1894;

The blonde ray or blonde skate (Raja brachyura) is a species of ray fish in the family Rajidae.^[2]^[3]

1873 sketch by the describer, A. Lafont^[4]

Scientist releasing a tagged blonde ray during fieldwork

Distribution

The blonde ray lives in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, at depths of 10–380 m (33–1,247 ft).

Description

Like all rays, the blonde ray has a flattened body with broad, wing-like pectoral fins. The body is kite-shaped with a short tail (hence the specific name brachyura, from Ancient Greek words meaning "short tail").

Maximum length is 120 cm (47 in).^[5]

Life cycle

Oviparous, with embryos feeding only on yolk. The females lay about 30 egg-cases between February and November, using shallower coastal waters as nursing-grounds.^[6]

Human use

Blonde rays are currently fished for human consumption, with a record weight of 37 lb (17 kg) recorded in Cobh, Ireland in 2008.^[7]^[8]

References

^ Ellis, J.; Ungaro, N.; Serena, F.; Dulvy, N.K.; Tinti, F.; Bertozzi, M.; Pasolini, P.; Mancusi, C.; Noarbartolo di Sciara, G. (2009). "Raja brachyura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T161691A5481210. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T161691A5481210.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Raja brachyura". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
^ Museum, British Columbia Provincial (26 June 1953). "Report of the Provincial Museum of Natural History" – via Google Books.
^ Lafont, A. (1873). "Raja brachyura". shark-references.com. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
^ Serena, Fabrizio (26 June 2005). Field Identification Guide to the Sharks and Rays of the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Food & Agriculture Org. ISBN 9789251052914 – via Google Books.
^ "MarLIN – The Marine Life Information Network – Blonde ray (Raja brachyura)". www.marlin.ac.uk.
^ "Sport Fishery Abstracts". Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 26 June 1978 – via Google Books.
^ "Ray – Blonde (Raja brachyura)". specimenfish.ie. Irish Specimen Fish Committee. Retrieved 26 June 2021.

External links

Data related to Raja brachyura at Wikispecies
Fishbase Database: Raja brachyura

Error: "Q383819" is not a valid Wikidata entity ID.

[iucn_status_20_November_2021-1] Ellis, J.; Ungaro, N.; Serena, F.; Dulvy, N.K.; Tinti, F.; Bertozzi, M.; Pasolini, P.; Mancusi, C.; Noarbartolo di Sciara, G. (2009). "Raja brachyura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T161691A5481210. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T161691A5481210.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.

[worms-2] "Raja brachyura". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 26 June 2021.

[3] Museum, British Columbia Provincial (26 June 1953). "Report of the Provincial Museum of Natural History" – via Google Books.

[4] Lafont, A. (1873). "Raja brachyura". shark-references.com. Retrieved 26 June 2021.

[5] Serena, Fabrizio (26 June 2005). Field Identification Guide to the Sharks and Rays of the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Food & Agriculture Org. ISBN 9789251052914 – via Google Books.

[6] "MarLIN – The Marine Life Information Network – Blonde ray (Raja brachyura)". www.marlin.ac.uk.

[7] "Sport Fishery Abstracts". Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 26 June 1978 – via Google Books.

[8] "Ray – Blonde (Raja brachyura)". specimenfish.ie. Irish Specimen Fish Committee. Retrieved 26 June 2021.

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