Leucoraja ocellata

(Mitchill, 1815)


Winter skate
Classification: Elasmobranchii Rajiformes Rajidae

Reference of the original description
Mitchill, S.L. (1815)
The fishes of New York described and arranged. Transactions of the Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, 1, 355–492

Image of the original description
No image in first description.

Synonyms / new combinations and misspellings
Raia ocellata, Raja ocellata, Raja (Leucoraja) ocellata

Types
Leucoraja ocellata
XXXX: No types known;


Description :


Citation: Leucoraja ocellata (Mitchill, 1815): In: Database of modern sharks, rays and chimaeras, www.shark-references.com, World Wide Web electronic publication, Version 03/2024

Please send your images of "Leucoraja ocellata" to info@shark-references.com

Egg capsule of Leucoraja ocellata, VIMS 01358, 78.0 x 48.0 mm © Hajime Ishihara, Japan
Common names
fra \(T\) Raie tachetée, eng Big skate, eng Eyed skate, eng Winter big skate, eng Winter skate, ita Razza occhiata, por Raia-inverneira

Short Description
Disk rounded, with many small dark spots on upper surface. Usually 1-4 ocelli on upper surface on each side of disk, each with a dark brownish center and pale edge. Young have long middorsal row of large spines on disk and tail. Upper jaw has 72 rows of teeth [17658]. Lower surface usually white but marked with irregular pale brownish blotches [199].

Distribution
Western Atlantic: Newfoundland Banks and southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada to North Carolina, USA. Source: www.gbif.org

Biology
Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk [733]. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother [17086]. Prefers cool temperatures. Feeds on amphipods and polychaetes (important foods); also include fishes, decapods, isopods and bivalves. They are eaten by sharks, other rays and grey seals. Parasites of the species include 1 protozoan, 1 myxosporidian, 2 trematodes, 6 cestodes and 3 nematodes (Ref. 5951).

Size / Weight / Age
110 cm TL (male/unsexed; [17658]); 80.6 cm TL (female); max. reported age: 21 years (Ref. 52109)

Habitat
demersal; oceanodromous [17660]; marine; depth range 0 - 90 m [17658]

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=3496;

Parasites (arranged by Jürgen Pollerspöck)
Monogenea
  • Empruthotrema raiae (Maccallum, 1916) Johnston & Tiegs, 1922 [17205] [17002]

Cestoda
  • Acanthobothrium coronatum (Rudolphi, 1819) Van Beneden, 1850 [12575] [16448]
  • Anthobothrium cornucopia Van Beneden, 1850 [12575]
  • Anthobothrium variabile (Linton, 1899) Wardle & Mcleod, 1952 [12575]
  • Echeneibothrium sobrinum Campbell, 1975 [16186]
  • Echeneibothrium variabile Van Beneden, 1850 [12575]
  • Echeneibothrium vernetae Euzet, 1956 [16148] [7574]
  • Grillotia erinaceus (Van Beneden, 1858) [12575] [24956] [16112] [7411]
  • Phyllobothrium loliginis (Leidy, 1887) [16443]
  • Phyllobothrium sp. [12575] [16443]
  • Pseudanthobothrium purtoni Randhawa, Saunders, Scott & Burt, 2008 [7413] [7574]
  • Pseudanthobothrium sp. [16148]

Trematoda
  • Otodistomum veliporum (Creplin, 1837) Stafford, 1904 [12575]
  • Podocotyle atomon (Rudolphi, 1802) Odhner, 1905 [12575]

Nematoda
  • Anisakis sp. [12575]
  • Metanisakis tricupola (Gibson, 1973) [17029]
  • Porrocaecum sp. [12575]
  • Pseudanisakis rotundata (Rudolphi, 1819) [12575]

Hirudinea