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Spiniraja whitleyi
Spiniraja whitleyi (Iredale, 1938)
Melbourne skate
Spiniraja whitleyi
photo by Graham, K.

Family:  Rajidae (Skates)
Max. size:  200 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 1 - 170 m
Distribution:  Eastern Indian Ocean: endemic to southern Australia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal surface greyish or greyish brown with irregularly spaced white flecks, ventral surface cream or white, occasionally with greyish areas. Disc quadrangular, broader than long. Snout of moderate length, broadly rounded and knob-like at snout tip. Tail short, very depressed, broad; lateral skin folds prominent. A row of 1-5 thorns on nuchal and shoulder region, orbital and malar thorns absent. Alar thorns retractable. Tail with 1-3 rows of thorns, outer rows located near lateral margin.
Biology:  Most abundant in shallow water near shore (Ref. 6871). Found over soft bottom (Ref. 7300, 75154). Recorded to be found at 345 m depth (Ref. 114953). Diet mainly consists of crabs, octopuses and small bony fishes (Ref. 114953). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Males reaches maturity at ca. 127 cm TL (Ref. 114953). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205). Egg cases ca. 22 cm long, hatch size at ca. 20 cm TL (Ref. 114953). Thorny tail can inflict a minor injury (Ref. 6871).
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (VU); Date assessed: 24 September 2020 (A2bd) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  traumatogenic


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