Max length : 105 cm TL male/unsexed; max. published weight: 11.4 kg
Demersal; oceanodromous; brackish; marine; depth range 20 - 1000 m, usually 50 - 100 m
Temperate; 1°C - 10°C; 72°N - 33°N, 78°W - 41°E
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland to the English Channel, including the North Sea (except southern part) and the western part of the Baltic; also off Cape Town, South Africa. Western Atlantic: Greenland and Hudson Bay, Canada to South Carolina, USA.
Short description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Stiff, bluntly triangular snout and tail shorter than body. Disc rhombic in adults, rounder in young. Upper surface very rough, with solid thornlets scattered all over disc and tail, underside smooth, except for some prickles on snout; a constant pattern of separate orbital thorns, a regular row of 13-17 large thorns from nape to first dorsal fin; large, close-set thorns with star-shaped bases at upper disc. Brownish grey with scattered irregular black blotches dorsally; white ventrally, with darker spots and blotches on tail and pelvic fins; black spot on tip of tail.
Biology
Eurybathic, eurythermic and benthic. Found on all kinds of bottoms; mainly on sandy and muddy bottoms. Feed on crustaceans, fish (sand lance, small haddock and sculpins) and polychaete worms. Diet changes with size. Oviparous. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother. Eggs are oblong capsules with stiff pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats. Egg capsule measures 3.4-8.9 cm long and 2.3-6.8 cm wide. Probably taken by hake trawlers. Few are dried and salted in Iceland. It has been mentioned that North American specimens grow to a larger size than East-Atlantic specimens (Arve Lynghammar, pers.comm., 11/09).
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Common names:
Common name/ Language/ Country
Tærbe Danish Denmark
Sterrog Dutch Netherlands
Maiden ray English Can Newfounl
Miller English Can Newfounl
Starry ray English UK
Starry skate English UK
Thornback English Can Newfounl
Thorny back English Can Newfounl
Thorny skate English Canada
Thorny skate English UK
Thorny skate English USA
Tähtrai Estonian Estonia
Rai Estonian Estonia
Pinnagigga Faroese Faeroe Is
Pinnaskøta Faroese Faeroe Is
Tindaskøta Faroese Faeroe Is
Kynsirausku Finnish Finland
Raie épineuse French Can Quebec
Raie épineuse French Canada
Raie radiée French France
Raie radiée épineuse French France
Sternrochen German Germany
Tindaskata Icelandic Iceland
Agdlernak Inuktitut Greenland
Kollivsiuternak Inuktitut Canada
Qarlêk Inuktitut Can Quebec
Taralikisâk Inuktitut Greenland
輻鰩 Mandarin Chinese China Main
辐鳐 Mandarin Chinese China Main
鈍頭魟 Mandarin Chinese China Main
钝头魟 Mandarin Chinese China Main
Klorokke Norwegian Norway
Kloskate Norwegian Norway
Raja promienista Polish Poland
Raia-repregada Portuguese Portugal
Vatos spinos Rumanian Romania
Zvezdchatyi skat Russian Russian Fed
Escrita Spanish Spain
Raya radiante Spanish Spain
Klorocka Swedish Sweden
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Family : Rajidae