25: RAJlDAE (SKATES)
'L...J"
25.20 Raja springeri: 27 cm wide female (off Kenya). Dorsal and ventral views.
25.21 Raja stenorhynchus
Wallace, 1967
Raja stenorhynchus Wallace, 1967: 23, Fig. 11 (22"25'S, 35°54'E).
Raja (Dipturus) stenorhynchus: Hulley, 1972: 77* .
Disc 1.1 times as broad as long; maximum angle in front of spiracles
about 64°; distance from front end of vent to 1st D origin 2.1 in length from
25.21 Raja stenorhmchus: 60 cm wide female holotype (S. Mozambique).
126
tip of snout to front of vent; D (fins) separate. 38 rows of teeth in upper
jaw. 49 pre dorsal caudal vertebrae. 9-11 thorns above each orbit; (?) 1
median nuchal thorn; 35 thorns mid-dorsally from above V to 1st D origin;
4-5 lateral caudal thorns; small group of spinules on tip of snout; ventral
surfaces of disc and tail with spinules on anterior third of rostral cartilage
and along front margins of disc.
Dorsally and ventrally uniform dark grey, mucous pores
black. Attains at least 90 cm TL, 60 cm OW. Known from 1
specimen taken east of Ponta da Barra Falsa, Mozambique,
in 740 m.
25.22 Raja straeleni
PoII,1951
False thornback skate
Vals doringrug-rog
Raja straeleni Poll, 1951: 118, Fig. 54 (13°05'S, 12°46'E); Hulley, 1970:
187* . Raja (Raja) straeleni: Hulley , 1972: 77* ; L1oris, 1982: 10.
Disc 1.2-1 .5 times as broad as long; maximum angle in front of spiracles
about 95°-100°; distance from middle of vent to 1st D origin 1.2-1.5 in
length from tip of snout to middle of vent; D (fins) separate. Snout length
2.8-3.2 times interorbital distance. 35-45 rows of teeth in upper jaw. 48-52
predorsal caudal vertebrae, 1-2 preorbital , 1-3 postorbital , 0-1 supraspiracular and 0-2 scapular thorns on each side, 4-5 median nuchal thorns;
20-52 mid-dorsal thorns from about axis of greatest disc width to 1st D
origin; 0-6 interdorsal thorns; a few lateral caudal thorns anteriorly on tail,
becoming regularly arranged and hook-like posteriorly; dorsal surface in
males entirely covered with small spinules, but in females spinules only on
tip of snout, front margins and mid-dorsal region of disc and tail ; ventral
surface with spines on tip of snout and front margins of disc.
Dorsally brown to grey, with scattered dark spots, except
on snout, V and tail; ventrally pale or mottled grey, sometimes with darker margin on rear edges of disc and V;
juveniles lack darker spots dorsally. Attains about 67 cm
TL, 49 cm OW. Off Namibia; eastern Atlantic between
about 200N and 22°S, in 80 - 690 m.
25.22 Raja straeleni: 43.5 cm wide male eN. Africa; after Poll, 1951).
'L...J"
25.20 Raja springeri: 27 cm wide female (off Kenya). Dorsal and ventral views.
25.21 Raja stenorhynchus
Wallace, 1967
Raja stenorhynchus Wallace, 1967: 23, Fig. 11 (22"25'S, 35°54'E).
Raja (Dipturus) stenorhynchus: Hulley, 1972: 77* .
Disc 1.1 times as broad as long; maximum angle in front of spiracles
about 64°; distance from front end of vent to 1st D origin 2.1 in length from
25.21 Raja stenorhmchus: 60 cm wide female holotype (S. Mozambique).
126
tip of snout to front of vent; D (fins) separate. 38 rows of teeth in upper
jaw. 49 pre dorsal caudal vertebrae. 9-11 thorns above each orbit; (?) 1
median nuchal thorn; 35 thorns mid-dorsally from above V to 1st D origin;
4-5 lateral caudal thorns; small group of spinules on tip of snout; ventral
surfaces of disc and tail with spinules on anterior third of rostral cartilage
and along front margins of disc.
Dorsally and ventrally uniform dark grey, mucous pores
black. Attains at least 90 cm TL, 60 cm OW. Known from 1
specimen taken east of Ponta da Barra Falsa, Mozambique,
in 740 m.
25.22 Raja straeleni
PoII,1951
False thornback skate
Vals doringrug-rog
Raja straeleni Poll, 1951: 118, Fig. 54 (13°05'S, 12°46'E); Hulley, 1970:
187* . Raja (Raja) straeleni: Hulley , 1972: 77* ; L1oris, 1982: 10.
Disc 1.2-1 .5 times as broad as long; maximum angle in front of spiracles
about 95°-100°; distance from middle of vent to 1st D origin 1.2-1.5 in
length from tip of snout to middle of vent; D (fins) separate. Snout length
2.8-3.2 times interorbital distance. 35-45 rows of teeth in upper jaw. 48-52
predorsal caudal vertebrae, 1-2 preorbital , 1-3 postorbital , 0-1 supraspiracular and 0-2 scapular thorns on each side, 4-5 median nuchal thorns;
20-52 mid-dorsal thorns from about axis of greatest disc width to 1st D
origin; 0-6 interdorsal thorns; a few lateral caudal thorns anteriorly on tail,
becoming regularly arranged and hook-like posteriorly; dorsal surface in
males entirely covered with small spinules, but in females spinules only on
tip of snout, front margins and mid-dorsal region of disc and tail ; ventral
surface with spines on tip of snout and front margins of disc.
Dorsally brown to grey, with scattered dark spots, except
on snout, V and tail; ventrally pale or mottled grey, sometimes with darker margin on rear edges of disc and V;
juveniles lack darker spots dorsally. Attains about 67 cm
TL, 49 cm OW. Off Namibia; eastern Atlantic between
about 200N and 22°S, in 80 - 690 m.
25.22 Raja straeleni: 43.5 cm wide male eN. Africa; after Poll, 1951).