E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Raja binoculata Girard, 1855
Big Skate
Family: Rajidae

Source: Distribution of Raja binoculata as compiled by Aquamaps

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Species Information

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Dorsal fins well back on tail, small; caudal and anal fins absent; pectorals broad, attached to snout and incorporated with body; pelvic fins large, moderately concave on free margins (Ref. 6885). Posterior sides of tail with a small fleshy keel on either side (Ref. 6885).

Source: FishBase. McEachran, J.D. and K.A Dunn. 1998 . (Ref. 27314)

Biology

Species Biology

Largest skate in North America (Ref. 2850). Feed on crustaceans and fishes (Ref. 6885). Oviparous. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother (Ref. 205). Eggs are oblong capsules with stiff pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats (Ref. 205). Egg capsules are 22.8-30.5 cm long and 11.0-19.4 cm wide (Ref. 41249, 41300, 41357). Environment: demersal; marine; depth range 3 - 800 m (Ref. 6793), usually 3 - 110 m (Ref. 2850). Climate: temperate; 61°N - 31°N, 165°W - 117°W

Source: FishBase. McEachran, J.D. and K.A Dunn. 1998 . (Ref. 27314)

Distribution

North Pacific: Glubokaya Bay, Cape Navarin, and Stalemate Bank to Cedros Island, Baja California, Mexico.

Source: FishBase. McEachran, J.D. and K.A Dunn. 1998 . (Ref. 27314)

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	SNR	No Status	NAR (Apr 2007)

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic and lineage information (NCBI Taxonomy Browser)

Additional Range and Status Information Links

NatureServe Explorer
University of Alaska Museum

Additional Photo Sources

Flickr Image Search
Google Image Search
Images from Calphoto

Related Databases

fishbase

General References

FishBase References
Google Scholar Search

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2023-02-02 9:01:33 AM]

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