Canada country information

Common names: Arctic skate, Blackbelly skate, Boreal skate
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Ranges from northern Canada eastward to Québec (Ref. 58426). In the Canadian Arctic, it is reported from Smith Sound at Pond Inlet, N Baffin Island, Lancaster Sound, Baffin Bay, Hudson Strait, off western Banks Is and Beaufort Sea (Ref. 117245). Also recorded from Amundsen Gulf, eastern Beaufort Sea, off Canada (Ref. 86838). There is no directed fisheries for this species, but it is an important source of income and sustenance for the indigenous communities and its culture (Ref. 117245). Also Ref. 3167, 8630, 120663, 125580.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/home_e.htm
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Coad, B.W. and J.D. Reist, 2004
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Raie arctique, Raya ártica, شِفنين بحري قُطبية, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Rajiformes (Skates and rays) > Rajidae (Skates)
Etymology: Amblyraja: Greek, amblys = darkness + Latin, raja, -ae = ray (Raja sp.) (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 92 - 2925 m (Ref. 119696), usually 300 - 2300 m (Ref. 9261). Deep-water; -1°C - 4°C (Ref. 119696); 82°N - 50°S, 180°W - 180°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Arctic, Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans: in cold and deep waters.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 94 - ? cm
Max length : 112 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 114953); 100.0 cm TL (female)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Grey-brown with large dark blotches (Ref. 26346). Tail very short (Ref. 26346). Mid-dorsal row of stout thorns which extend from nuchal region to first dorsal fin. Thorns close posterior to the pelvic girdle larger than along the tail (Ref. 6902). Upper surface dark mouse gray, dark blue gray or dark brown with small rounded spots. Lower surface white and sooty in variable patterns (Ref. 6902).

Found on the lower continental slope (Ref. 6871), probably most common on deep slopes and at abyssal depths (Ref. 114953). Benthic (Ref. 58426); meso- to bathybenthic, on muddy substrate (Ref. 119696). Adults feed on all kinds of bottom animals (Ref. 3167). Prefer polar temperatures from hatching to maturity and eggs are incubated successfully and regularly in water as cold as 0°C (Ref. 6902). Oviparous. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother (Ref. 205). Eggs are oblong capsules with stiff pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats (Ref. 205). Egg capsule measures 81-125 mm long and 50-80 mm wide (Ref. 41251). Hatching size at 16-18 cm TL (Ref. 114953) (15 cm long in Ref. 119696).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449). Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McEachran, John | Collaborators

McEachran, J.D. and K.A. Dunn, 1998. Phylogenetic analysis of skates, a morphologically conservative clade of elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia 1998(2):271-290. (Ref. 27314)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 16 August 2015

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest

FAO(Fisheries: production; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 0.3 - 8.8, mean 3.3 (based on 3242 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5010 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00302 (0.00141 - 0.00645), b=3.24 (3.07 - 3.41), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.3 ±0.5 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): High to very high vulnerability (67 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): Moderate vulnerability (38 of 100).

Amblyraja hyperborea (Collett, 1879)