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Thornback ray

Raja clavata

Thornback ray — Raja clavata
  • Saltwater
  • Near Threatened
Max length
120 cm
Classification
Class
Elasmobranchii
Order
Rajiformes
Family
Rajidae
Genus
Raja
Distribution
  • Atlantic, Northeast
  • Atlantic, Southeast
  • Mediterranean and Black Sea

About the thornback ray

The thornback ray (Raja clavata), or thornback skate, is a species of ray fish in the family Rajidae.

Habitat

The thornback ray is usually found on sedimentary seabeds such as mud, sand or gravel at depths between 10 and 60 m. Juvenile fish feed on small crustaceans, particularly amphipods and bottom-living shrimps; adults feed on crabs, shrimps and small fish.

Distribution

The Thornback ray is found in the Atlantic coastal waters of Europe and western Africa. It is also present from South Africa to the southwestern Indian Ocean and in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It is native possibly as far south as Namibia and South Africa.

Its natural habitats are open large seas and shallow seas. It is sometimes seen trapped in large estuarine pools at low tide.

The thornback ray is probably one of the most common rays encountered by divers.

Description from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Where the thornback ray lives

Distribution data from GBIF (DOI: 10.15468/dl.8rzs8d).

Also known as

Where to catch thornback ray

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