Description

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).

Common Names

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Elasmobranchii

Order: Rajiformes

Family: Rajidae

Genus: Beringraja

Species: Beringraja binoculata (Girard, 1855)

Climate Zone

Location

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

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). Young hatch at 18-23 cm TL (Ref. 114953). 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). Pectoral fins utilized for human consumption (Ref. 2850). Marketed fresh and frozen; eaten fried and baked (Ref. 9988).

Habitat

demersal

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Threat to Humans

Harmless