Dipturus stenorhynchus (Prownose skate)

(Wallace, 1967)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Chondrichthyes > Elasmobranchii > Batoidei > Rajoidei > Rajidae

Dipturus stenorhynchus (Prownose skate) [[Illustration by Ann Hecht ©]

Identification

An all-dark longnosed skate with a broadly triangular, greatly elongated snout, disk with angular corners, a stout tail shorter than the body and with its midsection swollen and sausage-shaped, a small thorn at nape, and underside of disk smooth. Colour uniform dark grey above and below, with black pores

Size

To at least 90 cm TL and 60 cm DW

Range

 East coast, central Mozambique. Endemic.

Habitat

Slope on bottom at 741 m

Biology

Unknown. A rare skate known from a single individual, more wanted

Human Impact

None

Text by Leonard J.V. Compagno, David A. Ebert and Malcolm J. Smale