identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
038987A4933EFFE173D5FF6BC8CD0E11.text	038987A4933EFFE173D5FF6BC8CD0E11.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Bathyraja , Ishiyama 1958	<div><p>Bathyraja Ishiyama, 1958</p> <p>Softnose skates</p> <p>Bathyraja (subgenus of Breviraja) Ishiyama (1958): 325 [133].</p> <p>Type species. Raja isotrachys Günther (1877), by original description.</p> <p>Diagnosis. Small to very large skates, disc rhomboidal-shaped, rather broad, width usually greater than disc length, pectoral fin corners angular to broadly rounded at tips. Snout flabby, flexible, and soft; rostral cartilages relatively slender, uncalcified, possessing small anterior notches that lie on either side of short, anterior, free projections of the axis; small appendices of the cartilage that are broadly united with the subterminal part of the elongated axis, with each appendix extending backwards a short distance as a slender, unnotched process paralleling the axis; and the posterior wing of each appendix separated from the axial rod by a notch about half as long as the whole appendix. Mouth small to relatively wide, slightly arched; teeth with single large cusp, angled rearward, and arranged in quincunx; tooth row counts upper and lower jaws 21–42. Tail relatively short, its length equal to or less than disc width. Dorsal fins usually two, subequal, similar in shape. Skin smooth or roughly textured by dermal denticles on dorsal and ventral surfaces. Dermal denticles present or absent on dorsal surface of disc and tail, but rarely present on ventral surface of disc and tail. Thorns on dorsal surface, if present, usually on nuchal, scapular, and midback areas; predorsal tail thorns mostly in single row; interdorsal thorns present or absent; ventral surface usually without thorns; mature males possess alar thorns, malar thorns absent. Claspers lack a large, thin, flake-like shield, the small ventral terminal that is hidden within the skin of the ventral lobe, and possess a pseudorhipidion and often a pseudosiphon. Vertebral counts: trunk 31–39, predorsal 68–122. Spiral valve counts 8–15. Maximum total length ranges from about 60 cm to over 200 cm. Coloration varies from whitish to dark brown, purplish, or black; dorsal surface either plain or with blotches or spots; ventral surface usually white, depending on the species may have dark blotches between gills or on abdomen, or gray edging on disc and pelvic fins.</p> <p>Distribution and Habitat. Softnose skates are most common at higher latitudes and in deeper waters, and inhabit continental and insular shelves from 17–3,322 m deep (Ebert &amp; Winton, 2010; Last et al., 2016; Kuhnz et al., 2019). Temperature preferences observed to be very cold to moderate, ranging from 1.6–13.2°C (Kuhnz et al., 2019). The genus can tolerate a fairly wide range of oxygen levels, with reported ranges from 0.1–3.5ml l-1 (Kuhnz et al., 2019).</p> <p>Etymology. The generic name derives from the Greek bathos, meaning deep, and raja, meaning skate, which is a reference to the depth range. The common name softnose skates refer to the short, flexible snout.</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987A4933EFFE173D5FF6BC8CD0E11	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Knuckey, James D. S.;Ebert, David A.	Knuckey, James D. S., Ebert, David A. (2022): A taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific softnose skates (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae: Bathyraja Ishiyama). Zootaxa 5142 (1): 1-89, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5142.1.1, URL: http://zoobank.org/ab36996c-74d9-416a-94c2-106345faff75
038987A4933EFFEF73D5FACCCDA4092F.text	038987A4933EFFEF73D5FACCCDA4092F.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Bathyraja abyssicola (Gilbert 1896)	<div><p>Bathyraja abyssicola (Gilbert, 1896)</p> <p>Figures 1–2; Table 1, 8–9</p> <p>Deepsea Skate</p> <p>Raja abyssicola Gilbert, C.H., 1896: 396, Pl. 20 [United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Report of the Commissioner] v. 19 (for 1893) (art. 6). Holotype: USNM 48623 (disintegrated). <a href="http://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-132.63333&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=52.658337" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -132.63333/lat 52.658337)">Off Queen Charlotte Island</a>, British Columbia, Canada, 52°39'30"N, 132°38'00"W, Albatross station 3342, depth 1,588 fathoms.</p> <p>Raja abyssicola: Goode &amp; Bean, 1895: 509 (listed); Jordan &amp; Evermann, 1896: 76 (compiled); Garman, 1913: 344 (compiled); Fowler, 1930: 502 (listed); Jordan et al., 1930: 26 (listed); Grey, 1956: 100 (compiled); Clemens &amp; Wilby, 1961: 90, fig. 28 (description, range); Grinols, 1965: 25 (listed); Miller &amp; Lea, 1972: 46 (description, figure, key); Quast &amp; Hall, 1972: 4 (listed); Hart, 1973: 55 (description, figure, range, reference).</p> <p>Bathyraja abyssicola: Stehmann, 1978: 53 (reference); Amaoka et al., 1983: 54–55 (description, figure; range; remarks); Masuda et al., 1984: 13; Stehmann, 1986: 263; Zorzi &amp; Anderson, 1988: 93; McAllister, 1990: 34 (listed); Castro-Aguirre &amp; Espinosa Pérez, 1996: 27 (listed); McEachran &amp; Dunn, 1998: 286 (listed); Castro-Aguirre et al., 1999: 63 (listed); Dolganov, 1999: 429; Compagno, 1999 (listed): 488; Sheiko &amp; Fedorov, 2000: 15; Hoff, 2002: 145 (description, figure, range); Mecklenburg et al., 2002: 102 (listed); Nakabo, 2002: 168 (key, listed); Ebert, 2003: 193 (description, distribution); Fedorov et al., 2003: 15; Stehmann, 2005a: S35, S53; Stevenson &amp; Orr, 2005: 73–80 (description, figure); Ebert &amp; Compagno, 2007: 116 (listed); Ebert &amp; Davis, 2007: 3–4 (egg case description); Parin et al., 2014: 29 (listed); Dyldin, 2015: 61 (listed); Weigmann, 2016: 90 (listed); Last et al., 2016: 373 (listed, figure); Kells et al., 2016 (figure): 78; Ebert et al., 2017: 21, 58, 68 (description, distribution, key, listed); Cerutti-Pereyra et al., 2018: 87 (description, figure, range); Dyldin &amp; Orlov, 2018: 168 (listed); Ehemann et al., 2018: 24 (listed); Burton &amp; Lea, 2019: 32 (listed); Calle-Morán et al., 2020: 246 (listed); Dyldin &amp; Orlov, 2021: 58 (listed).</p> <p>Diagnosis. Large, rhomboidal skates (to at least 1,570 mm TL) with a triangularly shaped disc (width 44.2–63.7% TL), long head length (19.7–27.8% TL), and rounded pectoral apices; claspers very long and slender, tip of clasper conspicuously bulbous, large and wide pseudosiphon present, length 20.0% of clasper, possesses a distinct, curved pseudorhipidion, inner surface has a defined V-shaped cleft; ventral lobe with a rounded projection; teeth in 27–39 and 24–34 rows on upper and lower jaw, respectively; pectoral radials 82; pelvic fins 19; total vertebrae 139; dorsal and ventral surface of disc with prickly dermal denticles; thorns present on dorsal surface of disc, males with a welldeveloped alar thorns, malar thorns absent, middorsal thorns weak or absent (0–2), scapulars usually absent, nuchal thorns strong (2–4), tail thorns moderate (15–30), down the length of tail, interdorsals weak or obsolete (0–1); dorsal coloration dark brown or black-grey, occasionally with small dark blotches scattered on body, pectoral fin edges darker than the rest of body, pelvic fins often with whitish anterior tips; ventral coloration darker than dorsal surface, often with white coloration around mouth, gills, and cloaca.</p> <p>Description. A large, flabby-bodied skate with a rhomboidal disc, 1.0–1.6 times as broad as long; disc length very triangular; disc length and width large; anterior margin strongly triangular, moderately concave in adult males, straight to moderately convex beside and just forward of eyes; apex rounded; posterior margin convex and broadly rounded; free rear tip broadly rounded. Head length 27.5–27.8% TL and preorbital snout length very long 12.4–16.8% TL. Preoral length relatively long 12.0–17.3% TL and prenarial length substantially large 9.8–14.3% TL. Snout tip narrowly pointed, possessing no fleshy process at apex. Eye length relatively small 2.0–4.6% TL. Spiracles average 1.9–3.4% TL, oval shaped. Nasal curtain length large 2.7–9.1% TL, width average 6.3–9.7% TL, its posterior margin fringed at the corners; anterior margin of curtain lobe-like. Internarial distance 5.5–8.6% TL; gills roughly equivalent in length, except for a smaller fifth gill slit; first gill slit length 1.6–2.6% TL; fifth gill slit length 1.3–2.4% TL; distance between first gill slits 12.0–18.0% TL, and distance between fifth gill slits 10.0–13.7% TL. Upper jaw moderately well arched, possessing a symphysis; lower jaw convex. Teeth similar in both jaws; teeth unicuspid, with a strong, bluntly pointed posteriorly directed cusp; arranged in longitudinal rows; upper and lower teeth moderate in number (27–39 and 24–34, respectively).</p> <p>Pelvic fins large, posterior lobe 7.2–12.8% TL, anterior lobe 4.9–10.4% TL, and inner margin deeply incised 2.9–8.6% TL. Tail moderately long 52.1–61.7% TL, rather slender; wider at base, tapering to the first dorsal fin origin, not expanded in the middle. Lateral tail fold small, 16.5–22.4% TL, similar in both sexes; not obviously broader at any point along its length. Dorsal fins moderate in size and shape, first dorsal fin slightly taller than second dorsal fin, 1.8–3.1% TL and 1.9–2.6% TL, respectively; bases of both dorsal fins are similar in length, 3.1–4.0% TL for first dorsal fin and 2.7–4.2% TL for second dorsal fin; anterior margins of both fins concave, apices rounded; free rear tip rounded; interdorsal space short 0.4–1.7% TL, with larger individuals having a larger interdorsal space, rear tip of first dorsal fin not overlapping base of second dorsal fin. Caudal fin small, low, height 0.2–1.0% TL; its dorsal margin weakly concave; not connected to second dorsal fin by a small membranous ridge. Tail relatively long 52.1–61.7% TL.</p> <p>Middorsal, nuchal, interdorsal, and tail thorns present, males with a well-developed set of alar thorns; malar thorns absent; thorns vary in size, from very short to well-developed. Middorsal thorns weakly developed or absent (0–2), causing a discontinuous row from scapular region to first dorsal fin; scapulars usually absent; nuchal thorns strongly developed (2–4); tail thorns moderate (15–30) and go down the length of the tail; interdorsal thorns weakly developed and small in number (0–1). Alar thorn patches possess 3–6 rows and 20–23 columns on both pectoral fins. No multiple rows of thorns on body.</p> <p>Mature claspers very slender and long, base length 0.9–1.9% TL, inner length 20.4–30.7% TL, tip of clasper conspicuously bulbous and wider than the rest of the structure (Figure 3). Clasper fully developed with squared tip, its length 35.7–49.7% of tail length. Very large and wide pseudosiphon present near the outer lateral edge of dorsal lobe, its length 20.0% of clasper length; inner surface of dorsal lobe with a distinct, curved pseudorhipidion; inner surface possesses a clearly defined V-shaped cleft; ventral lobe possesses a rounded projection.</p> <p>Clasper skeleton consists of 3 dorsal terminal, 1 accessory terminal, ventral terminal and axial cartilages; dorsal terminal 1 squared with a notch on the inner edge; dorsal terminal 1 curves around the axial onto ventral side and connected with ventral terminal, forming the relatively large pseudosiphon externally; tip of dorsal pointed, forming the pseudorhipidion externally; ventral terminal long, leaf-shaped, and overlying the tip of ventral marginal and accessory terminal 1; tip of ventral marginal pointed, forming a rounded projection externally.</p> <p>Dermal denticles possess 3–4 points to the base and are well-developed on posterior third of the dorsal surface; denticles on the first dorsal fin long, needle-like, posterior-oriented; denticles on head stouter and strongly curved (Figure 4). Possesses very fine prickles on the dorsal surface. Dermal denticles found on both dorsal and ventral surfaces, including the tail.</p> <p>Length of rostral cartilage 51.1% of cranial length; prefontanelle rostral length 46.7%; cranial width 61.4%; least interorbital width 18.5%; length of anterior prefontanelle 14.1%; length of rostral appendices 16.2%. Rostral cartilage abruptly tapering near its broad base; rostral appendices long, its length 38.4% of the length of rostral cartilage; anterior fontanelle spade-shaped (Figure 5).</p> <p>Coloration. Dorsal coloration dark brown or black to grey, occasionally with small dark blotches scattered on body. Snout semi-translucent. Spiracles pale white to pink. Pectoral fin edges are darker than the rest of the body; pelvic fins darker, often with whitish anterior tips. Ventral coloration slightly darker than dorsal surface; often possessing white coloration around mouth, gills, and cloaca; irregular pale blotches and numerous dark spots often scattered on body. Claspers brown to grey; cloaca sometimes possesses a dark ring around it. Thorns on dorsal surface are very pale. Coloration after preservation is a uniform brown both dorsally and ventrally.</p> <p>Egg case description. The egg cases are large (108–111 mm TL), light golden brown in color, with a coarse surface, due to the presence of rasp-like denticles. Cases possess a distinct groove between the lateral keel and the case, a feature that is absent in all other ENP skate egg cases. Horns are present at the corners, with the anterior horns being more robust than posteriors, both sets becoming flat and thread-like at tips (Ebert &amp; Davis 2007).</p> <p>Distribution. Bathyraja abyssicola has been confirmed as occurring in the North Pacific, specifically from the Bering Sea, south to the Galapagos Islands (Cerutti-Pereyra et al., 2018), and as far west as Japan (Ebert, 2003). It occurs at depths of 362–2,906 m (Ebert, 2003); the specimens included in this study were found no shallower than 968 m and not deeper than 1,212 m. The relatively shallow depth for the specimens in this study is due to the maximum survey depth, not because the species does not occur at those depths.</p> <p>Biological notes. Size at maturity for males 109–120 cm TL; 145 cm TL for females. Size at birth is uncertain, although the smallest free-swimming specimen measured 19 cm TL (Stevenson &amp; Orr, 2005). Maximum is size is 135 cm TL and 157 cm TL for males and females, respectively (Matta et al., 2006). It is a predator that feeds on annelids, cephalopods, crabs, shrimps, and bony fishes, with smaller individuals consuming more invertebrates (Ebert, 2003).</p> <p>Habitat. Inhabits deep waters, on the upper continental slope (Ebert, 2003), often over fine sediment. Has been reported to have a preference for colder temperatures than its congeners (Kuhnz et al., 2019)</p> <p>Etymology. The species was named after the Greek abyssos, meaning bottomless, and cola, meaning living at depths, referring to its deep-sea habitat.</p> <p>Comparisons. Bathyraja abyssicola is one of the largest bathyrajid species that occurs in the ENP and can easily be differentiated from the smaller-bodied species in its geographic range, including B. kincaidii and B. microtrachys. Additionally, the dorsal and ventral colorations of B. interrupta, B. kincaidii, and B. spinosissima easily distinguish those species from B. abyssicola. Head, preorbital, and prenarial lengths are significantly longer than all of its congeners (F 6,104 = 10.23, p &lt;0.0001, F 6,104 = 12.41, p &lt;0.0001, and F 6,104 = 16.24, p &lt;0.0001, respectively). Furthermore, middorsal thorn count is significantly lower than its congeners (F 6,104 = 16.2, p &lt;0.0001).</p> <p>Bathyraja microtrachys is a smaller-bodied species that differs from B. abyssicola in its thorns counts and coloration. Bathyraja abyssicola possesses thorns in the middorsal and nuchal regions, whereas these thorns are absent in B. microtrachys. Bathyraja trachura shares a similar range and coloration to B. abyssicola, but lacks middorsal thorns, and has a significantly smaller interdorsal space and head length.</p> <p>Bathyraja aleutica is also similar to B. abyssicola in size, coloration, and distribution. Bathyraja abyssicola possesses dark coloration on both sides, whereas B. aleutica possesses a predominantly pale ventral side. Furthermore, B. aleutica possesses a longer interdorsal space, shorter head length, and shorter preorbital snout. Bathyraja abyssicola has the longest snout to body size of any species in this study.</p> <p>Remarks. Individuals seen in remotely operated vehicle footage have been found to face up-slope when at rest (Kuhnz et al., 2019). Unlike some of its congeners, this species has a preference for swimming above the seafloor (Kuhnz et al., 2019).</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987A4933EFFEF73D5FACCCDA4092F	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Knuckey, James D. S.;Ebert, David A.	Knuckey, James D. S., Ebert, David A. (2022): A taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific softnose skates (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae: Bathyraja Ishiyama). Zootaxa 5142 (1): 1-89, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5142.1.1, URL: http://zoobank.org/ab36996c-74d9-416a-94c2-106345faff75
038987A49337FFF473D5FBA6CDFB0CED.text	038987A49337FFF473D5FBA6CDFB0CED.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Bathyraja aleutica (Gilbert 1896)	<div><p>Bathyraja aleutica (Gilbert, 1896)</p> <p>Figures 6–7; Table 2, 8–9</p> <p>Aleutian Skate</p> <p>Raja aleutica Gilbert, C.H., 1896: 397, Pl. 21 [United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Report of the Commissioner] v. 19 (for 1893) (art. 6). Holotype: USNM 48548. North of Sannak Pass, Aleutian Islands, Albatross station 3257, depth 81 fathoms.</p> <p>Raja aleutica: Gilbert, 1896: 397, pl. 21; Miller &amp; Lea, 1972 (description, figure, key).</p> <p>Breviraja aleutica: Ishiyama, 1952: 9 (key).</p> <p>Bathyraja aleutica: Amaoka, et al., 1983: 59; 170; Eschmeyer et al., 1983: 49; Masuda et al., 1984: 14; Stehmann, 1986: 263; McEachran &amp; Dunn, 1998: 286 (listed); Dolganov, 1999: 429; Compagno, 1999: 488 (listed); Sheiko &amp; Fedorov, 2000: 15; Mecklenburg et al., 2002 (listed): 99; Nakabo, 2002 (key, listed): 166; Hoff, 2002: 145; Ebert, 2003: 195–196 (description, distribution); Orlov, 2003: 45; Fedorov et al., 2003: 15; Nelson et al., 2004: 55; Love et al., 2005: 11; Ebert &amp; Compagno, 2007: 116 (listed); Ebert &amp; Davis, 2007: 4–5 (egg case description); Page et al., 2013: 55; Shinohara et al., 2014: 234 (listed); Parin et al., 2014: 30 (listed); Dyldin, 2015: 61 (listed); Weigmann, 2016: 90 (listed); Last et al., 2016: 25, 376 (listed, figure); Kells et al., 2016: 78 (figure); Ebert et al., 2017: 21, 58, 67 (description, distribution, key, listed); Dyldin &amp; Orlov, 2018: 168; Burton &amp; Lea, 2019: 32 (listed); Dyldin &amp; Orlov, 2021: 58 (listed).</p> <p>Diagnosis. Large, rhomboidal skates (1,540 mm TL), long head length (16.7–24.3% TL), and rounded pectoral apices; interdorsal space large (1.3–3.1% TL); claspers short and stubby, tip rounded and not bulbous, weakly defined pseudosiphon present, dorsal lobe has a short pseudorhipidion, U-shaped cleft, ventral lobe with a rounded projection; teeth in 34–42 and 32–38 rows on upper and lower jaw, respectively; pectoral radials 90; pelvic fins, 22; total vertebrae 152; dorsal surface with fine prickles, becoming larger on the tail; thorns present on dorsal surface, males possess alar thorns, malar thorns absent, middorsal thorns developed and high in number (4–11), nuchal thorns strong (3–5), scapular and tail thorns present, interdorsal thorns weak (1–2); dorsal coloration dark brown to grey, dark spots on pectorals, ocellus on either pectoral fin often present, ventral coloration white, with darker coloration on the snout, gills, disc margins, pelvics, and underside of the tail.</p> <p>Description. A large skate with a rhomboidal disc, 1.1–2.1 times as broad as long; anterior margin moderately concave in adult males, straight to slightly convex beside and just forward of eyes; pectoral fin apices broadly rounded; posterior margin slightly convex; free rear tip broadly rounded. Head length long 16.7–24.3% TL; preorbital snout length long 9.7–16.9% TL; preoral length relatively long 11.8–17.5% TL. Snout tip broadly triangular, possessing no fleshy process at apex. Deeply concave space directly behind eyes, eye length relatively small 2.6–5.0% TL. Interorbital width short 3.3–5.3% TL. Spiracles average 1.6–3.7% TL, oval shaped. Mouth width short 6.2–10.0% TL. Nasal curtain length average 2.8–4.5% TL, width average 7.0–9.0% TL, its posterior margin fringed at the corners; anterior margin of curtain lobe-like. Internarial distance 6.6–7.7% TL; first gill slit length 1.2–2.5% TL; fifth gill slit length 0.7–2.1% TL; distance between first gill slits large 14.7–20.2% TL, and distance between fifth gill slits 10.1–13.4% TL. Upper jaw moderately well arched, possessing a symphysis; lower jaw convex. Teeth similar in both jaws; teeth unicuspid, with a strong, bluntly pointed posteriorly directed cusp; arranged in longitudinal rows; upper and lower teeth high in number (34–42 and 32–38, respectively).</p> <p>Pelvic fins average overall; anterior lobe short 6.9–9.9% TL, posterior lobe relatively long 7.2–15.7% TL, and similar between sexes and maturities, inner margin deeply incised. Tail relatively long 51.1–60.9% TL, rather slender, wider at base, tapering to the first dorsal fin origin, not expanded in the middle. Lateral tail fold length 13.9–24.0% TL, similar in both sexes, not obviously broader at any point along its length. Dorsal fins moderate in size and shape, both dorsal fins similar in height, 1.9–3.0% TL and 1.7–3.1% TL, respectively; bases of both dorsal fins are the same length, 2.8–5.0% TL; anterior margins of both fins concave, apices rounded; free rear tip rounded, occasionally pointed; interdorsal space large 1.3–3.1% TL, with larger individuals having a shorter interdorsal space, rear tip of first dorsal fin not overlapping base of second dorsal fin. Caudal fin moderate, low, height 0.5–2.1% TL; its dorsal margin weakly concave; connected to second dorsal fin by a small membranous ridge.</p> <p>Dorsal surface covered with fine prickles, with larger prickles on the tail; ventral surface smooth. Scapular, middorsal, nuchal, interdorsal, and tail thorns present, males with a well-developed set of alar thorns; malar thorns absent; thorns vary slightly in size, from moderate to well-developed. Middorsal thorns well-developed and high in number (4–11); nuchal thorns very well-developed and high in numbers (3–5); 1–2 scapular thorns present on either side; tail thorns average (25–30); interdorsal thorns weakly developed (1–2). Alar thorn patches range between 7–8 rows and 21–24 columns on both pectoral fins. No multiple rows of thorns on body.</p> <p>Mature claspers relatively short and stubby, base length 1.3% TL, inner length 23.1% TL, and tip of clasper rounded and not bulbous (Figure 8). Clasper inner length 42.6% of tail length; weakly defined pseudosiphon present, its length 30.8% of the clasper length; inner surface of dorsal lobe possesses a short pseudorhipidion; U-shaped cleft; inner surface of ventral lobe has a rounded projection.</p> <p>Clasper skeleton consists of 3 dorsal terminal, 1 accessory terminal, ventral terminal and axial cartilages; dorsal terminal 1 large, taking up most of the dorsal surface; dorsal terminal 1 forms a weakly defined pseudosiphon externally; the tip of the dorsal marginal is round, and forms a thick, short, but poorly defined pseudorhipidion externally; ventral terminal curved and pointed, possessing a tip that forms the projection externally; accessory terminal 1 almost as long as the ventral terminal; tip of accessory terminal 1 is pointed.</p> <p>Dermal denticles possess 4–7 points at the base; developed on the posterior third of the dorsal surface; denticles on the first dorsal fin strong curved, claw-like; denticles on head wider than dorsal fin; found in high density patches (Figure 9).</p> <p>Length of rostral cartilage 47.2% of cranial length; prefontanelle rostral length 48.4%; cranial width 87.3% least interorbital width 18.3%; length of anterior prefontanelle 11.1%; length of posterior prefontanelle 11.1%; length of rostral appendices 20.6%. Rostral cartilage nearly straight; the two fontanelles are equal in length (Figure 10).</p> <p>Coloration. Dorsal coloration dark brown to grey, with dark spots on pectoral fins, often darker at the disc margins. One ocellus on either pectoral fin is present in some specimens. Spiracles often pale in coloration. Ventral coloration white, including the claspers, but with dark brown to dark grey coloration on the snout, gills, posterior disc margins, pelvic fins, cloaca, and underside of the tail. Thorns on dorsal surface pale. Coloration after preservation is brown dorsally and pale ventrally, with the dark spots on pectoral fins largely becoming lighter and closer in color to the rest of the surface.</p> <p>Egg case description. Egg cases large (&gt; 120 mm TL), golden brown in color, and covered by coarse, striated, and anteriorly-directed prickles, which give is a velvety texture. Cases possess long, curved horns at each corner, with the anterior horns being short. Horns taper and become thin and filamentous at their ends (Ebert &amp; Davis, 2007).</p> <p>Distribution. Bathyraja aleutica has been confirmed as occurring in the North Pacific, specifically from the Bering Sea, south to Cape Mendocino, northern California, and as far west as northern Japan (Ebert, 2003). It occurs at depths of 15–1,602 m (Kyne et al., 2012); the specimens included in this study were all from the shallow portion of the species’ depth range (379–730 m).</p> <p>Biological notes. Size at maturity for males 113 cm TL; 125 cm TL for females. Males grow to at least 150 cm TL; females grow to about 154 cm TL. Size at birth is 12–15 cm TL (Ebert, 2003, 2005). Maximum size is at least 154 cm TL (Haas, 2011; Haas et al., 2016). Primarily consumes benthic crustaceans, including shrimps and crabs, and secondarily feeds on bony fishes (Brown et al., 2011).</p> <p>Habitat. Inhabits deep waters, on the outer continental shelf and upper slope, often over muddy sediment (Ebert, 2003).</p> <p>Etymology. The species was named after the Aleutian Islands, where the holotype was collected.</p> <p>Comparisons. Bathyraja aleutica is a relatively large skate that can be easily separated from other smallerbodied skates in its range (e.g., B. interrupta, B. kincaidii, B. microtrachys, and B. trachura) based on coloration, thorn counts, and morphological measurements. Of the small skates, only B. microtrachys possesses similar dorsal and ventral coloration, but lacks middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns. Interdorsal space is significantly larger than all of its congeners (F 6,104 = 15.3, p &lt;0.0001). Furthermore, middorsal thorns are significantly higher in number than all of its congeners (F 6,104 = 16.2, p &lt;0.0001).</p> <p>Bathyraja spinosissima and B. abyssicola are similar in size and range to B. aleutica, but the pale coloration and lack of middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns in the former easily separates it. Bathyraja abyssicola can be distinguished from B. aleutica in that it possesses 0–2 middorsal thorns and B. aleutica has 4–11 in the same region. Mature claspers can also be used, as B. abyssicola is characterized as having long, thin claspers with strong, Vshaped clefts, compared to the short, stubby claspers with weak U-shaped clefts in B. aleutica.</p> <p>Remarks. Nursery regions have been identified on the continental shelf-slope interface in the southeastern Bering Sea (Hoff, 2007, 2010). Eggs are deposited on substrate from June to November (Hoff, 2002; Ebert, 2003). This species has been reported to exhibit complete albinism, with an albino specimen coming from Prince William Sound (Bigman et al., 2015).</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987A49337FFF473D5FBA6CDFB0CED	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Knuckey, James D. S.;Ebert, David A.	Knuckey, James D. S., Ebert, David A. (2022): A taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific softnose skates (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae: Bathyraja Ishiyama). Zootaxa 5142 (1): 1-89, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5142.1.1, URL: http://zoobank.org/ab36996c-74d9-416a-94c2-106345faff75
038987A49328FFFC73D5FF23CE2408DB.text	038987A49328FFFC73D5FF23CE2408DB.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Bathyraja interrupta (Gill & Townsend 1897)	<div><p>Bathyraja interrupta (Gill &amp; Townsend, 1897)</p> <p>Figures 11–13; Tables 3, 8–9</p> <p>Bering Skate</p> <p>Raja interrupta Gill &amp; Townsend, 1897: 232 [Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington] v. 11. Lectotype: USNM 48760 (1, poor condition; designated herein). Paralectotype: USNM 48761 (1).</p> <p>Raja interrupta: Gill &amp; Townsend, 1897: 232; Jordan &amp; Evermann, 1898: 2751 (compiled); Jordan &amp; Gilbert, 1899 (listed): Berg, 1911: 96 (description, key); Garman, 1913: 345 (compiled); Fowler, 1930: 502 (listed); Jordan et al., 1930: 26 (listed); Soldatov &amp; Lindberg, 1930: 22 (compiled); Taranetz, 1937: 51 (key); Fowler, 1941: 394 (compiled); Quast &amp; Hall, 1972: 4 (listed); Ricker, 1973: 228 (listed); Robins et al., 1980 (listed).</p> <p>Breviraja interrupta: Lindberg &amp; Legeza, 1959: 130, fig. 82 (compiled); Uyeno, 1965: 417 (reference); Okada &amp; Kobayashi, 1968: 41 (description); Uyeno, 1971: 70 (listed).</p> <p>Rhinoraja interrupta: Raschi &amp; McEachran, 1991: 1902; Dolganov, 1999: 429; Compagno, 1999: 489 (listed); Sheiko &amp; Fedorov, 2000: 15; Hoff, 2002: 145; Orlov, 2003: 45.</p> <p>Bathyraja interrupta: Garrick &amp; Paul, 1974: 361; table 5 (reference); Ishiyama &amp; lshihara, 1977: 88, table 5 (comparison); Stehmann, 1986: 263; McAllister, 1990: 34 (listed); McEachran &amp; Dunn, 1998: 286 (listed); Mecklenburg et al., 2002: 100 (listed); Nelson et al., 2004: 55 (listed); Spies et al., 2011: 80; Page et al., 2013: 55 (listed); Parin et al., 2014: 31 (listed); Dyldin, 2015: 63 (listed); Pietsch &amp; Orr, 2015: 17 (listed); Weigmann, 2016: 92 (listed); Last et al., 2016: 25, 386 (figure, listed); Kells et al., 2016: 78 (figure); Ebert et al., 2017: 21, 58, 67 (description, distribution, key, listed); Ehemann et al., 2018: 24 (listed).</p> <p>Diagnosis. Moderately-sized skates (825 mm TL), disc length (47.7–54.0% TL), Head length moderate (18.4– 21.4% TL), posterior lobe of pelvic fins long (10.4–23.4% TL); claspers long and robust, tip rounded and not bulbous, pseudosiphon absent, possesses a weak, but long pseudorhipidion, U-shaped cleft, projection rounded and protrudes from tip, has a very large sentina, sentinel present; teeth in 22–32 and 23–32 rows on upper and lower jaw, respectively; total vertebrae 133; dorsal surface covered in small, sandpaper-like prickles; thorns present in a noncontinuous row, mature males with strong alar thorns, malar thorns absent, middorsal thorns strong (1–8), nuchal thorns robust (2–5), tail thorns moderate (18–26), interdorsal thorns weak (0–1); dorsal coloration brown to grey, with numerous small dark spots on body; ventral coloration white, often with dark brown blotches on underside of tail.</p> <p>Description. A medium-sized skate with a rhomboidal disc, 1.2–1.3 times as broad as long; anterior margin strongly concave in adult males, convex beside and just forward of eyes; apex rounded; posterior margin slightly convex; free rear tip broadly rounded. Head length moderate 18.4–21.4% TL; preorbital snout length 10.5–14.6% TL; preoral length 10.5–13.4% TL. Snout tip triangular and rounded, possessing no fleshy process at apex. A flat to moderately concave area between the eyes; interorbital width short 2.5–5.1% TL. Spiracle length 1.9–3.2% TL, oval shaped; interspiracular space short 5.5–6.8% TL; mouth width short 6.7–9.0% TL. Nasal curtain length 2.9–6.6% TL, its posterior margin fringed at the corners; anterior margin of curtain lobe-like. Internarial distance 3.2–7.4% TL. Upper jaw moderately well arched, possessing a symphysis; lower jaw convex. Teeth similar in both jaws; teeth unicuspid, with a strong, bluntly pointed posteriorly directed cusp; arranged in longitudinal rows; upper teeth and lower teeth relatively low in number (22–32 and 23–32, respectively).</p> <p>Pelvic fins large overall; anterior lobe 7.7–11.6% TL, posterior lobe very large 10.4–23.4% TL and similar between sexes and maturities, inner margin deeply incised. Tail length 39.4–60.2% TL, relatively short and stout; wider at base, tapering to the first dorsal fin origin, not expanded in the middle. Precaudal length short 44.5–51.1% TL. Dorsal fins moderate in size and shape, the first dorsal fin displays a wider range than second dorsal fin, 1.7–5.2% TL and 2.1–2.9% TL, respectively; bases of both dorsal fins similar in size and length, 3.8–5.2% TL and 3.4–4.6% TL, respectively; anterior margins of both fins concave, apices rounded; free rear tip rounded; interdorsal space relatively short 0.2–1.8% TL, with larger individuals having a shorter interdorsal space, rear tip of first dorsal fin not overlapping base of second dorsal fin. Caudal fin height 0.6–1.1% TL; its dorsal margin weakly concave; not connected to second dorsal fin by a small membranous ridge.</p> <p>Dorsal surface covered in uniform, small, sandpaper-like prickles. Scapular, middorsal, nuchal, interdorsal, and tail thorns present, males with a well-developed set of alar thorns; malar thorns absent; thorns vary slightly in size, from short to well-developed. Middorsal thorns range from low to high in number (1–8); nuchal thorns well-developed and average in number (2–5); tail thorns moderate in number (18–26); scapular thorns absent in some specimens and present in others (0–2); interdorsal thorns weakly developed (0–1). Thorns in a single, noncontinuous row; no multiple rows of thorns on body. Alar thorn patches range between 4–6 rows and 8–22 columns on both pectoral fins.</p> <p>Mature claspers relatively long and robust, base length 1.8–2.8% TL, inner length 25.5–26.0% TL, tip of clasper rounded and not bulbous (Figure 14). Clasper inner length 46.5–47.0% of tail length; pseudosiphon is absent; inner surface of dorsal lobe with a relatively weak, but long pseudorhipidion and a U-shaped cleft; inner surface of ventral lobe possesses a rounded projection that conspicuously protrudes from the tip of the clasper; a very large sentina; sentinel present; clasper relatively robust overall.</p> <p>Clasper skeleton consists of 3 dorsal terminal, 1 accessory terminal, ventral terminal and axial cartilages; dorsal terminal 1 shaped like a long, rounded leaf, and possessing a long shaft; unlike most bathyrajids in the ENP the dorsal terminal 1 does not form an external pseudosiphon; the tip of the dorsal marginal is pointed, and forms a long, thin pseudorhipidion externally; ventral terminal curved, possessing a blunt tip that forms the exposed projection; accessory terminal 1 nearly as long as the ventral terminal; tip of accessory terminal 1 is rounded; very large sentina located above the projection; sentinel present next to the sentina.</p> <p>Dermal denticles possess 3–5 base points and are moderately developed on the posterior third of the dorsal surface; denticles on the first dorsal fin not curved, posterior-oriented, found in low densities across surface (Figure 15).</p> <p>Length of rostral cartilage 46.6% of cranial length; prefontanelle rostral length 47.2%; cranial width 78.9%; least interorbital width 20.1%; length of anterior prefontanelle 19.5%; length of posterior prefontanelle 26.5%; length of rostral appendices 18.9%. Rostral cartilage nearly straight; fontanelles rectangular in shape; the posterior fontanelle larger (Figure 16).</p> <p>Coloration. Dorsal coloration dark brown to brown grey, with numerous small dark spots on body. Snout and edges of fins usually darker than the rest of the body. Ventral coloration white, usually with small to large dark brown blotches on underside of tail. Coloration after preservation is similar to fresh specimens; however, the dark spots on dorsal surface tend to disappear.</p> <p>Egg case description. Egg cases small (78–79 mm TL), golden brown in color, and covered with small, coarse prickles that form longitudinal rows. Cases possess lateral keels that are very wide. Horns taper and become thin and filamentous at their ends, with the anterior horn being more robust (Ebert, 2005).</p> <p>Distribution. Bathyraja interrupta has been confirmed as occurring in the eastern North Pacific, specifically from the Bering Sea, Alaska south to British Columbia, Canada (Kyne et al. 2012). This species is most common on the continental shelf-slope break at around 200–500 m, but is possibly found down to 1,372 m (Mecklenburg et al., 2002, Bizzarro et al., 2014).</p> <p>Biological notes. Size at maturity for males is 69–70 cm TL and 71–72 cm TL for females, with a maximum size of at least 89 cm TL (Ainsley, 2009; Ainsley et al., 2014). The age of maturity was found to be 62 cm for males and 61for females (Bizzarro &amp; Vaughn, 2009). As with other skates, B. interrupta are a late maturing species (Ainsley et al., 2011). The species feeds on benthic invertebrates, including euphausiids, crabs, and various shrimps (e.g., pandalids, hippolytids, crangonids) and bony fishes (Brown, 2010).</p> <p>Habitat. Inhabits deep waters, on the outer continental shelf and upper slope, often being found on fine sediment (Ebert, 2003).</p> <p>Etymology. The species name comes from the interrupted row of thorns down the middorsal and tail.</p> <p>Comparisons. Bathyraja interrupta is a medium-bodied skate that can be separated relatively easily from its congeners based on coloration, size, thorn counts, and distribution. Bathyraja abyssicola, B. aleutica, B. spinosissima and B. trachura all display markedly different colorations. Bathyraja microtrachys has a geographic range that is much further south and does not possess middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns, whereas B. interrupta does. Posterior pelvic lobe significantly longer than all of its congeners (F 6,104 = 25.5, p &lt;0.0001). Additionally, precaudal length significantly shorter than its conspecifics (F 6,104 = 86.7, p &lt;0.0001).</p> <p>Bathyraja interrupta is very closely related to B. kincaidii, which is a smaller-bodied species found in a more southern geographic range than B. interrupta. The two species may form a larger species complex that ranges from northern Mexico to the Bering Sea.</p> <p>Bathyraja interrupta differs from its congener in that it possesses a shorter interdorsal space than B. kincaidii (0.2–1.8% TL and 0.6–3.3% TL, respectively). The pelvic fins are a useful separator of the two species, as B. interrupta has a much larger posterior lobe length (10.4–23.4% TL) and inner anterior pelvic lobe length (2.7– 9.3% TL) than B. kincaidii does (8.1–14.9% TL and 5.5–8.5% TL, respectively). The mature claspers of both species differ, as B. interrupta has more robust, stockier claspers than B. kincaidii. Furthermore, B. interrupta has a pointed projection that conspicuously protrudes out past the tip of the clasper, whereas B. kincaidii has a rounded projection that does not protrude past the tip. The cleft of B. interrupta is V-shaped and the cleft is U-shaped and curved in B. kincaidii. The sentina on the mature clasper is very large in B. interrupta, but average in B. kincaidii.</p> <p>Remarks. Bathyraja interrupta is one of the most common skate species in its range. It occurs in two of the largest marine ecosystems in Alaska, the Eastern Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska (Ainsley et al., 2011). It is included in this study due to its relationship with B. kincaidii, in that the two may form a species complex. Nursery regions have been identified for this species on the upper continental slope in the eastern Bering Sea (Hoff 2010). The species has been shown to exhibit hermaphroditism, with a hermaphroditic specimen being collected in the Gulf of Alaska (Haas &amp; Ebert, 2008).</p> </div>	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987A49328FFFC73D5FF23CE2408DB	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Knuckey, James D. S.;Ebert, David A.	Knuckey, James D. S., Ebert, David A. (2022): A taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific softnose skates (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae: Bathyraja Ishiyama). Zootaxa 5142 (1): 1-89, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5142.1.1, URL: http://zoobank.org/ab36996c-74d9-416a-94c2-106345faff75
038987A49323FFFB73D5FB8ACCC50BCF.text	038987A49323FFFB73D5FB8ACCC50BCF.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Bathyraja kincaidii (Garman 1908)	<div><p>Bathyraja kincaidii (Garman, 1908)</p> <p>Figures 17–20; Tables 4, 8–9</p> <p>Sandpaper Skate</p> <p>Raja kincaidii Garman, 1908: 254 [Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology] v. 51 (no. 9). Holotype: MCZ 1261 - S. Off Friday Harbor, Washington, USA. Type catalog: Hartel &amp; Dingerkus, 1997: xlvii.</p> <p>Raja kincaidii: Garman, 1908: 254; Garman, 1913: 343, pl. 17 (description); Schultz &amp; DeLacy, 1935: 368 (record; range); Schultz, 1936: 132 (key); Schultz, 1937: 235 (description); Roedel &amp; Ripley, 1950: 74 (description, range); Alverson, 1951: 86 (record); Clemens &amp; Wilby, 196l: 88, fig. 27 (description, range); Grinols, 1965: 26 (listed); Miller &amp; Lea, 1972: 44 (description, figure, key); Quast &amp; Hall, 1972: 4 (listed); Hart, 1973: 58 (description, figure, range); Robins et al., 1980: 14 (listed); Del Moral-Flores et al., 2016: 110.</p> <p>Breviraja kincaidii: Cox, 1963: 278, fig. 6.</p> <p>Bathyraja kincaidii: Stehmann, 1978: 53 (reference); Eschmeyer et al., 1983: 50, fig. 11, pl. 4 (description); Compagno, 1999: 488 (listed); Ebert, 2003: 197–198 (description, distribution); Ebert &amp; Compagno, 2007: 116 (listed); Ebert &amp; Davis, 2007: 5–6 (egg case description); Pietsch &amp; Orr, 2015: 17 (listed); Del Moral-Flores et al., 2016 (listed): 110; Last et al., 2016: 25, 390 (figure, listed); Ebert et al., 2017: 21, 58, 67 (description, distribution, key, listed); Burton &amp; Lea, 2019: 32 (listed).</p> <p>Diagnosis. Small, rounded skates (560 mm TL), disc length and width short (29.0–54.1% TL and 61.2–67.3% TL, respectively), head length short (15.9–21.3% TL), internarial distance short (5.2–6.7% TL); claspers long and thin, tip rounded, not bulbous, pseudosiphon absent, possesses an average pseudorhipidion, not conspicuously projecting from the tip, V-shaped cleft, has a projection and an average sentina, projection is pointed; teeth in 22–31 and 18–31 rows on upper and lower jaw, respectively; pectoral radials 69–72; pelvic fins, 17–22; total vertebrae 132; dorsal surface covered in uniform prickles; thorns present on dorsal surface, males with well-developed alar thorns, malar thorns absent, middorsal thorns range in number (0–9), nuchal thorns strong (3–7), tail thorns few in number (14–22), scapular vary in count (0–2), interdorsal thorns weak or obsolete (0–2), thorns in a continuous row; dorsal coloration mottled brown to grey, possessing numerous small dark spots; ventral coloration white, often with dark brown blotches on underside of tail.</p> <p>Description. A small skate with a rhomboidal disc, 1.2–2.1 times as broad as long; anterior margin strongly concave in adult males, convex beside and just forward of eyes; apex rounded; posterior margin slightly convex; free rear tip broadly rounded. Disc length and width are smaller than all of its congeners 29.0–54.1% TL and 61.2–67.3% TL, respectively. Head length relatively short 15.9–21.3% TL; preorbital snout length short 9.9–14.0% TL; preoral length 9.0–14.3% TL. Snout tip triangular and rounded; possessing no fleshy process at apex. Eye length moderate 2.3–5.6% TL; a flat to moderately concave area between the eyes; interorbital width short 3.6–5.3% TL. Spiracles average 1.9–3.6% TL, oval shaped; interspiracular space short 5.4–6.8% TL; mouth width short 5.9–8.2% TL. Nasal curtain length average 2.4–3.9% TL, width average 6.2–8.9% TL, its posterior margin fringed at the corners; anterior margin of curtain lobe-like. Internarial distance very short 5.2–6.7% TL; first gill slit length 1.5–2.7% TL; fifth gill slit length 1.1–2.4% TL; distance between first gill slits short 11.6–16.4% TL, and distance between fifth gill slits short 8.0–10.7% TL. Upper jaw moderately well arched, possessing a symphysis; lower jaw convex. Teeth similar in both jaws; teeth unicuspid, with a strong, bluntly pointed posteriorly directed cusp; arranged in longitudinal rows; upper teeth and lower teeth relatively low in number (22–31 and 18–31, respectively).</p> <p>Pelvic fins small, posterior lobe 8.1–14.9% TL, anterior lobe 7.9–11.8% TL, and inner margin deeply incised 5.5–8.5%. Tail moderate 37.1–62.3% TL, relatively stout; wider at base, tapering to the first dorsal fin origin, not expanded in the middle. Lateral tail fold short 6.2–9.7% TL, similar in both sexes; not obviously broader at any point along its length. Dorsal fins relatively moderate in size and shape, the first dorsal fin taller than second dorsal fin, 2.0–4.0% TL and 1.4–2.9% TL, respectively; bases of both dorsal fins similar in size and length, 2.9–4.9% TL and 2.3–5.3% TL, respectively; anterior margins of both fins concave, apices rounded; free rear tip rounded; interdorsal space average 0.6–3.3% TL, with larger individuals having a shorter interdorsal space, rear tip of first dorsal fin not overlapping base of second dorsal fin. Caudal fin large, low, height 0.6–1.9% TL; its dorsal margin weakly concave; not connected to second dorsal fin by a small membranous ridge. Tail relatively short 37.1–62.3% TL.</p> <p>Dorsal surface covered in uniform, small, sandpaper-like prickles. Scapular, middorsal, nuchal, interdorsal, and tail thorns present, males with a well-developed set of alar thorns; malar thorns absent; thorns vary slightly in size, from short to well-developed. Middorsal thorns range from absent to high in number (0–9); nuchal thorns welldeveloped and high in numbers (3–7); tail thorns few in number (14–22); scapular thorns absent in some specimens and present in others (0–2); interdorsal thorns weakly developed (0–2). Thorns in a single, continuous row; no multiple rows of thorns on body. Alar thorn patches range between 1–4 rows and 8–22 columns on both pectoral fins.</p> <p>Mature claspers relatively long and thin, base length 1.3–1.9% TL, inner length 20.6–27.5% TL, tip of clasper rounded and not bulbous (Figure 21). Clasper inner length 28.2–58.0% of tail length; pseudosiphon is absent; inner surface of dorsal lobe with an average pseudorhipidion that does not conspicuously project out from the tip of the clasper; V-shaped cleft; inner surface of ventral lobe possesses a projection and an average sentina; projection is pointed; clasper thin overall.</p> <p>Clasper skeleton consists of 3 dorsal terminal, 1 accessory terminal, ventral terminal and axial cartilages; dorsal terminal 1 shaped like a long, narrow leaf, and possessing a long shaft; unlike most congeners the dorsal terminal 1 does not form a pseudosiphon externally; the tip of the dorsal marginal is pointed, and forms a long, thin pseudorhipidion externally; ventral terminal curved, possessing a blunt tip that forms the projection externally; accessory terminal 1 nearly as long as the ventral terminal; tip of accessory terminal 1 is pointed; average-sized sentina located above the projection; sentinel present, but fairly small.</p> <p>Dermal denticles possess 4–5 points on the base of the denticle; moderately developed on posterior third of the dorsal surface; denticles on the first dorsal strongly curved posteriorly and relatively narrow; denticles on head stouter (Figure 22).</p> <p>Length of rostral cartilage 45.8% of cranial length; prefontanelle rostral length 45.8%; cranial width 78.3%; least interorbital width 18.1%; length of anterior prefontanelle 20.5%; length of posterior prefontanelle 25.3%; length of rostral appendices 18.1%. Rostral cartilage nearly straight; anterior fontanelle spade-shaped; posterior fontanelle gourd-shaped; the posterior fontanelle larger (Figure 23).</p> <p>Coloration. Dorsal coloration mottled dark brown to brown-grey, with numerous small dark spots on body. Snout semi-translucent; snout and edges of fins sometimes purple. Ventral coloration white, usually with small to large dark brown blotches on underside of tail. Coloration after preservation is similar to fresh specimens; however, the dark spots on dorsal surface tend to become pale in coloration.</p> <p>Egg case description. Egg cases very small (50–66 mm TL), light to dark brown, dorsal surface covered with fine fibers, ventral surface with either a thin fibrous layer or without. Egg cases possess long, inward bending horns at each corner and strong lateral keels, with the horns flattening and becoming thread-like at the tips (Ebert &amp; Davis 2007).</p> <p>Distribution. Bathyraja kincaidii has been confirmed as occurring in the eastern North Pacific, specifically from British Columbia, Canada, south to Baja California, Mexico (Ebert, 2003). Its range may extend up to Alaska, but confusion with B. interrupta means that the northern extent of its range cannot be verified. It is reported to occur most commonly on the continental shelf-slope break at around 200–500 m, but is possibly found down to 1,372 m at the southern end of its range (Kyne et al., 2012); however, this study shows an increased depth range of 119–1,050.4 m. Most specimens occurred in the shallow portion of the species range, as there were only three specimens collected at 1,050.4 m; the rest were captured at 119–458.3 m.</p> <p>Biological notes. Size at maturity for males 44 cm TL; 45 cm TL for females (Perez-Brazen et al., 2014). Males grow to 62 cm TL; females grow to 58 cm TL. Size at birth is 12–16 cm TL (Ebert, 2003). Maximum size is at least 62 cm TL (Perez, 2005; Perez et al., 2011). Maximum age has been estimated to be 17 years for females and 18 years for males (Perez et al., 2011). Consume invertebrates, notably euphausiids, polychaetes, amphipods, crabs, and mysids (Ebert, 2003; Rinewalt et al., 2007).</p> <p>Habitat. Inhabits deep waters, but not as deep as other members of Bathyraja in the ENP (Kuhnz et al., 2019). Individuals tend to be found in deeper waters at the southern edge of their distribution (Ebert, 2003). Temperature preferences were observed to be moderate compared to its congeners (Kuhnz et al., 2019).</p> <p>Etymology. The species was named in honor of Dr. Trevor Kincaid, University of Washington. Dr. Kincaid collected the holotype specimen.</p> <p>Comparisons. Bathyraja kincaidii is easily distinguished from most softnose skate species in the ENP. Internarial distance is significantly shorter than all of the conspecifics (F 6,104 = 21.9, p &lt;0.0001). Furthermore, the tail thorn count is significantly lower than all of its congeners (F 6,104 = 24.0, p &lt;0.0001). Bathyraja abyssicola, B. aleutica and B. spinosissima all possess large disc lengths and widths, in addition to obvious color differences. Bathyraja microtrachys, though similar in size, lacks middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns. Bathyraja trachura is darkly colored and has much larger dermal denticles on the dorsal surface and a much shorter interdorsal space.</p> <p>Bathyraja interrupta is very closely related to B. kincaidii and is compared in detail to describe characters that are useful for identification. Besides the morphological traits listed in the prior comparison for B. interrupta, dermal denticles can be used to separate the two species, as B. interrupta has three points on the denticle base and the denticles are posteriorly oriented, with little to no curve along the length. Bathyraja kincaidii possesses four to five points with strongly curved denticles, especially for those on the head region. Some of the best indicators for species identification of softnose skates are the thorn counts. Bathyraja kincaidii has a higher middorsal and nuchal thorn count than B. interrupta (0–9 and 3–7 for B. kincaidii, respectively and 1–8 and 2–5 for B. interrupta, respectively). Bathyraja kincaidii possesses a single, uninterrupted row of thorns down the midline of the dorsal surface. Bathyraja interrupta has an interrupted row of thorns with a noticeable gap between the middorsal and tail thorns.</p> <p>Remarks. Individuals observed by remotely operated vehicles were found on flat, fine sediment. The species seems to prefer a walking locomotion using its pelvic fins rather than swimming in the water column (Kuhnz et al., 2019).</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987A49323FFFB73D5FB8ACCC50BCF	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Knuckey, James D. S.;Ebert, David A.	Knuckey, James D. S., Ebert, David A. (2022): A taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific softnose skates (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae: Bathyraja Ishiyama). Zootaxa 5142 (1): 1-89, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5142.1.1, URL: http://zoobank.org/ab36996c-74d9-416a-94c2-106345faff75
038987A4931BFFC273D5F94CCDC709FB.text	038987A4931BFFC273D5F94CCDC709FB.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Bathyraja microtrachys (Osburn & Nichols 1916)	<div><p>Bathyraja microtrachys (Osburn &amp; Nichols, 1916)</p> <p>Figures 24–27; Tables 5, 8–9</p> <p>Fine-Spined Skate</p> <p>Raja microtrachys Osburn &amp; Nichols, 1916: 142, fig. 1 [Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History] v. 35 (art. 16). Holotype: USNM 87538 [ex AMNH 5198]. Off Southwest of San Diego, California, USA, about 31°N, Albatross station 5673, depth 1,090 fathoms.</p> <p>Raja microtrachys: Osburn &amp; Nichols, 1916: 142, fig. 1 (description); Townsend &amp; Nichols, 1925: 6; Fowler, 1930: 502 (listed); Jordan et al., 1930: 25 (listed); Grey, 1956: 99 (compiled); Miller &amp; Lea, 1972: 211 (reference).</p> <p>Bathyraja microtrachys: Compagno, 1999: 488 (listed); Ebert, 2003: 199–200 (description, distribution); Ebert &amp; Compagno, 2007: 117 (listed); Ebert &amp; Davis, 2007: 6–7 (egg case description); Del Moral-Flores et al., 2016: 110 (listed); Last et al., 2016: 26, 401 (figure, listed); Ebert et al., 2017: 21, 58, 68 (description, distribution, key, listed); Burton &amp; Lea, 2019: 98 (listed); Orr et al., 2019: 41 (description, range).</p> <p>Diagnosis. Moderate sized, rhomboidal skates (910 mm TL), disc length (41.5–51.1% TL), head moderately long (18.3–21.2% TL), internarial distance large (7.3–8.7% TL); claspers short and robust, tip rounded, very large pseudosiphon present, possesses a long, slender pseudorhipidion nearly reaching the tip, V-shaped cleft, projection absent; teeth in 23–30 and 11–22 rows on upper and lower jaw, respectively; pectoral radials 61–74; pelvic fins, 14; total vertebrae 130; dorsal surface evenly covered in fine prickles; thorns present on dorsal surface, males with alar thorns, malar thorns absent, middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns absent, tail thorns high in number (19–26); interdorsal thorns weak to obsolete (0–1); dorsal coloration uniformly brown, usually darker at the margins; ventral coloration white, with brown pectorals and pelvic fins.</p> <p>Description. A moderately-sized skate with a rhomboidal disc, 1.2–1.4 times as broad as long; anterior margin strongly concave in adult males, convex beside and just forward of eyes; apex broadly rounded; posterior margin slightly convex; free rear tip broadly rounded. Head length moderate 18.3–21.2% TL; preorbital snout length 9.8– 14.3% TL; preoral length 9.9–13.7% TL. Snout tip triangular, flabby, and pointed, possessing no fleshy process at apex. Eye length moderate 2.9–5.5% TL. Spiracles small 0.8–3.0% TL, oval shaped. Nasal curtain length average 2.0–4.09% TL, its posterior margin not fringed at the corners; anterior margin of curtain lobe-like. Internarial distance relatively large 7.3–8.7% TL; first gill slit length moderate 0.6–2.4% TL; fifth gill slit length relatively large 0.6–2.4% TL. Upper jaw moderately well arched, possessing a symphysis; lower jaw convex. Teeth similar in both jaws; teeth unicuspid, with a strong, bluntly pointed posteriorly directed cusp; arranged in longitudinal rows; upper and lower teeth low in number (23–30 and 11–22, respectively).</p> <p>Pelvic fins small overall; anterior lobe short 4.8–9.7% TL, posterior lobe 7.2–15.3% TL, and inner margin short 2.3–7.3% TL. Tail moderate 45.5–67.7% TL, moderately stout; wider at base, tapering to the first dorsal fin origin, not expanded in the middle. Precaudal length 48.0–101.8% TL shows significant differences, being of moderate length. Dorsal fins relatively moderate in height and shape, both dorsal fins similar in size and height, 1.4–2.5% TL and 1.6–2.8% TL, respectively; base of the first dorsal fin longer than the second dorsal fin, 4.0–5.6% TL and 2.7–5.2% TL, respectively; anterior margins of both fins concave, apices rounded; free rear tip pointed and overlaps caudal fin; interdorsal space absent to short 0.0–1.6% TL, rear tip of first dorsal fin not overlapping base of second dorsal fin. Caudal fin short and low, height 0.3–1.1% TL; its dorsal margin weakly concave; connected to second dorsal fin by a small membranous ridge.</p> <p>Dorsal surface covered in uniform, small, fine prickles; ventral surface smooth. Interdorsal and tail thorns present, males with a well-developed set of alar thorns; malar thorns absent; thorns vary slightly in size, from short to moderately well-developed. Middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns absent; tail thorns high in number and moderately well-developed (19–26); interdorsal thorns very weakly developed, and absent in most specimens (0–1). Alar thorn patches range between 3–5 rows and 19–24 columns on both pectoral fins. No multiple rows of thorns on body.</p> <p>Mature claspers relatively short and robust, base length 1.3–2.6% TL, inner length 18.4–21.9% TL, tip of clasper rounded and bulbous (Figure 28). Clasper inner length 40.5–44.8% of tail length; very large pseudosiphon present near outer lateral edge of dorsal lobe; the inner surface of the dorsal lobe with very long, slender pseudorhipidion that nearly reaches the tip of the clasper; V-shaped cleft; projection absent.</p> <p>Clasper skeleton consists of 3 dorsal terminal, 1 accessory terminal, ventral terminal and axial cartilages; dorsal terminal 1 very large, rounded, and narrow, curves onto the ventral side and united with ventral terminal; dorsal terminal 1 forms a large pseudosiphon 1 externally, its length 41.8% the length of the clasper; tip of dorsal marginal is pointed, forming a clearly defined pseudorhipidion externally; accessory terminal 1 rod-like and does not form a sentinel externally; tip of ventral marginal sharply pointed that does not form an external projection.</p> <p>Length of rostral cartilage short, 32.8% of cranial length; prefontanelle rostral length 41.4%; cranial width 87.5%; least interorbital width 24.2%; length of anterior prefontanelle 16.4%; length of posterior prefontanelle long 18.8% of cranial length; length of rostral appendices 14.1%. Rostral appendices nearly straight; anterior fontanelle rectangular-shaped; posterior fontanelle gourd-shaped and longer than anterior one (Figure 29).</p> <p>Coloration. Dorsal coloration uniformly brown; slightly darker at the disc margins. Ventral coloration white, with the exception of brown pectorals and pelvic fins. Coloration after preservation is similar to fresh specimens.</p> <p>Egg case description. Egg cases small (79–81 mm TL), dark golden brown, coarsely striated, with irregular rasp-like denticles, making the case rough to the touch. Horns present at the corners; anterior horns are robust at base, but flatten towards tips. Tips of the horns curve dorsally and back towards the egg case (Ebert &amp; Davis 2007).</p> <p>Distribution. Bathyraja microtrachys has been confirmed as occurring in the eastern North Pacific, specifically from British Columbia, south to the Gulf of California (Kuhnz et al., 2019; Orr et al., 2019). It occurs at depths of 1,995 –3,000 + m and is fairly common below 2,000 m (Kyne et al., 2012; Kuhnz et al., 2019).</p> <p>Biological notes. According to material examined, s ize at maturity for males is at least 64–75 cm TL and 60–70 cm TL for females. Males grow to 75 cm TL. Size at birth is about 17 cm TL (Ebert, 2003). Little is known about the diets of this species, other than notes that indicate that they consume deep-water shrimps (Ebert, 2003).</p> <p>Habitat. Inhabits perhaps the deepest waters of any Bathyrajid in the ENP and specimens identified as B. cf. microtrachys were observed as deep as 3,321 m (Kuhnz et al., 2019). Reported to prefer low temperature, high oxygen environments compared to congeners (Kuhnz et al., 2019).</p> <p>Etymology. The species was named after the Latin micro, meaning small, and trachys, meaning spine, referring to the uniform fine prickles covering the dorsal surface.</p> <p>Comparisons. Bathyraja microtrachys is easily separated from B. spinosissima, which is much larger and has a pale coloration. Bathyraja abyssicola and B. aleutica are also larger-bodied species compared to B. microtrachys, and both possess middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns, traits that B. microtrachys lacks. Moreover, precaudal length shows significant differences between all of its congeners, with other species having significantly longer or shorter lengths (F 6,104 = 10.2, p &lt;0.0001).</p> <p>Bathyraja interrupta and B. kincaidii differ from B. microtrachys based on their beige dorsal coloration with dark, irregular blotches and pale ventral coloration. Bathyraja microtrachys is further distinguished from B. interrupta and B. kincaidii by the lack an interdorsal space in most specimens. Moreover, Bathyraja microtrachys possesses shorter anterior and posterior pelvic fin lobes.</p> <p>Morphologically, B. microtrachys is most closely related to B. trachura, but can easily be distinguished from B. trachura based on several characters. The coloration of B. microtrachys is uniformly brown on the dorsal surface and white on the ventral surface. Dorsally, B. trachura is dark purple to dark grey and possesses a grey ventral surface that is characterized as possessing white blotches on the body, gills, mouth, and cloaca. When it comes to separation based on dermal denticles, B. microtrachys has very fine dermal denticles on the dorsal surface and does not possess noticeably larger denticles on the tail region. This is compared to the large, rough dermal denticles found on B. trachura, especially for those found on the tail. Bathyraja microtrachys possesses a moderately shorter disc size than B. trachura does (disc length 41.5–51.1% TL and 28.7–56.7% TL, respectively). The interorbital width is noticeably longer in B. microtrachys than it is in B. trachura (3.5–8.1% TL and 3.7–5.6% TL, respectively) and is a feature that can be used to distinguish the two species.</p> <p>Remarks. Specimens observed by remotely operated vehicles were often found free swimming above the seafloor (Kuhnz et al., 2019).</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987A4931BFFC273D5F94CCDC709FB	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Knuckey, James D. S.;Ebert, David A.	Knuckey, James D. S., Ebert, David A. (2022): A taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific softnose skates (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae: Bathyraja Ishiyama). Zootaxa 5142 (1): 1-89, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5142.1.1, URL: http://zoobank.org/ab36996c-74d9-416a-94c2-106345faff75
038987A4931CFFCF73D5FB9ACE4E0D2A.text	038987A4931CFFCF73D5FB9ACE4E0D2A.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Bathyraja spinosissima (Beebe & Tee-Van 1941)	<div><p>Bathyraja spinosissima (Beebe &amp; Tee-Van, 1941)</p> <p>Figures 30–33; Tables 6, 8</p> <p>Pacific White Skate</p> <p>Psammobatus spinosissima Beebe &amp; Tee-Van, 1941: 259, Pl. 2 (fig. 4) [Zoologica, Scientific Contributions of the New York Zoological Society] v. 26. Holotype: CAS-SU 46500 [ex NYZS 6132] (embryo). Type catalog: Mead 1958: 134. 60 miles south of <a href="http://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-87.0&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=4.8333335" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -87.0/lat 4.8333335)">Cocos Island</a>, <a href="http://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-87.0&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=4.8333335" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -87.0/lat 4.8333335)">eastern Pacific</a>, 4°50'N, 87°00'W, depth 765 fathoms.</p> <p>Psammobatis spinosissima: Beebe &amp; Tee-Van, 1941: 259, pl. 2, fig. 4.</p> <p>Bathyaraja spinosissima: Stehmann, 1986: 263; McEachran, 1995: 776 (listed); Castro-Aguirre &amp; Espinosa Pérez, 1996: 28 (listed); McEachran &amp; Dunn, 1998: 286 (listed); Dolganov, 1999: 429 (listed); Compagno, 1999: 488 (listed); Sheiko &amp; Fedorov, 2000: 15; Hoff, 2002: 145; Ebert, 2003: 201–202 (description, distribution); Fedorov et al., 2003: 19; Stehmann, 2005b: S35, S53; Ebert &amp; Compagno, 2007: 117 (listed); Ebert &amp; Davis, 2007: 8–9 (egg case description); McCosker &amp; Rosenblatt, 2010: 188 (listed); Parin et al., 2014: 34 (listed); Dyldin, 2015: 66 (listed); Del Moral-Flores et al., 2016: 110; Weigmann, 2016: 97 (listed); Last et al., 2016: 27, 420 (figure, listed); Ebert et al., 2017: 21, 59, 68 (description, distribution, key, listed); Ehemann et al., 2018: 24; Salinas-de-León et al., 2018: 1; Burton &amp; Lea, 2019: 99 (figure); Orr et al., 2019: 39.</p> <p>Diagnosis. Large skates (2,003 mm TL), disc length and width large (44.1–56.9 and 50.6–67.3% TL, respectively), pectorals possess rounded apices, head moderately long (14.0–20.5 % TL), interspiracular length large (9.1–12.2% TL), mouth width large (6.1–13.0% TL); mature claspers have not been described; teeth in 31–33 and 24–31 rows on upper and lower jaw, respectively; total vertebrae 137; dorsal and ventral surfaces covered with prickles; thorns generally absent on dorsal surface, tail thorns present (22–28), interdorsal thorns weakly developed or absent (0–1), middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns absent; dorsal coloration pale white to grey; outer edges of pectorals darker in coloration; ventral coloration pale white.</p> <p>Description. A very large sized skate with a rhomboidal disc, 1.2–1.3 times as broad as long; the disc length large 44.1–56.9% TL; disc width large 50.6–67.3% TL; straight to moderately convex beside and forward of eyes; apex broadly rounded; posterior margin slightly convex; free rear tip broadly rounded. Head length moderate 14.0– 20.5 % TL; preorbital snout length 6.1–12.8% TL; preoral length 9.1–12.3% TL. Snout tip pointed, possessing no fleshy process at apex. Eye length moderate 2.3–5.0% TL; interorbital width large 4.9–9.5% TL. Spiracles relatively small 1.2–2.3% TL, oval shaped; interspiracular length large 9.1–12.2% TL. Mouth width very large 6.1–13.0%. Nasal curtain length and width both moderate, 2.4–3.5% TL and 6.1–11.8% TL, respectively, its posterior margin fringed at the corners; anterior margin of curtain lobe-like. Internarial distance long 7.3–11.3% TL; first gill slit length 1.2–2.0% TL; fifth gill slit length 0.6–2.0% TL; distance between gill slits large, distance between first gill slits 15.9–24.0% TL, and distance between fifth gill slits 11.0–15.4% TL. Upper jaw moderately well arched, possessing a symphysis; lower jaw convex. Teeth similar in both jaws; teeth unicuspid, with a strong, bluntly pointed posteriorly directed cusp; arranged in longitudinal rows; teeth relatively high in number and similar in number, upper teeth (31–33) and lower teeth (24–31).</p> <p>Pelvic fins moderate; anterior lobe relatively short 4.3–7.9% TL, posterior lobe 9.0–12.2% TL, and similar between sexes and maturities, inner margin incised. Tail relatively moderately sized 47.3–66.5% TL, stout, wider at base, tapering to the first dorsal fin origin, not expanded in the middle. Dorsal fins small in size, second dorsal fin taller than first dorsal fin, 1.1–1.8% TL and 0.9–1.8% TL, respectively; dorsal fin lengths similar, 2.4–4.3% TL and 2.7–3.0% TL, for the first and second dorsal fins, respectively; anterior margins of both fins concave, apices rounded; free rear tip rounded; interdorsal space short 0.4-0.6% TL; rear tip of first dorsal fin not overlapping base of second dorsal fin. Caudal fin relatively long, base length 4.4–5.5% TL; its dorsal margin weakly concave; connected to second dorsal fin by a small membranous ridge.</p> <p>Dorsal surface covered with prickles and some thorns; ventral surface covered in small prickles. Tail thorns present (22–28) and moderate in size; interdorsal thorns weakly developed and occasionally absent (0–1); middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns absent. Thorns in a single, non-continuous row; no multiple rows of thorns on body. As no mature males were included in this study, number of alar or malar thorn counts is unknown. Based on congener species, malar thorns are unlikely to be present in this species.</p> <p>Mature males were not available during the course of this study, so clasper descriptions are currently unavailable.</p> <p>Dermal denticles possess 4–5 base points and are well-developed on the posterior third of the dorsal surface; denticles on the first dorsal fin thick, straight, posteriorly-oriented; denticles on head stouter than dorsal fin; found in high density patches (Figure 34).</p> <p>Coloration. Dorsal coloration pale white to light grey; outer edges of pectorals slightly darker in coloration. Ventral coloration pale white. Thorns on dorsal surface pale. Coloration after preservation is a uniform light brown on both the dorsal and ventral surfaces.</p> <p>Egg case description. Egg cases large compared to its congeners (92 mm TL), plum brown in color, longitudinally weakly striated. Both surfaces of the case are plush-like to the touch. Horns present, posterior horns curve inwards, and narrow at tips (Ebert &amp; Davis, 2007).</p> <p>Distribution. Bathyraja spinosissima is a wide spread species and has been confirmed as occurring in the North Pacific, specifically from the Bering Sea, south to the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica (Ebert, 2003; Orr et al., 2019). It occurs at depths of 800–2,938 m (Ebert 2003).</p> <p>Biological notes. Size at maturity is unknown for males; female specimens in this study were found to be mature at 98 cm TL. Size at birth is 25 cm TL (Ebert, 2003). Maximum size is at least 2 m TL (Ebert, 2003). The species is a predator of deep-water benthic fishes (Ebert, 2003).</p> <p>Habitat. Inhabits deep waters to almost 3,000 m, making it one of the deepest dwelling skates encompassed in this study (Ebert, 2003), Reported to prefer cold temperatures compared to its congeners (Kuhnz et al., 2019).</p> <p>Etymology. The species name comes from the Latin spinosus, meaning thorny. It was named thus for the prickles on both the ventral and dorsal surface.</p> <p>Comparisons. Bathyraja spinosissima is the most easily identifiable softnose skate in the ENP, mostly due to its large size and coloration. Interspiracular length, mouth width, and internarial distance are significantly larger than all of its congeners (F 6,104 = 4.7, p = 0.0003, F 6,104 = 9.7, p &lt;0.0001 and F 6,104 = 21.9, p &lt;0.0001, respectively). Furthermore, smaller-bodied skates in the region (e.g., B. interrupta, B. kincaidii, B. microtrachys, and B. trachura) lack the pale dorsal surface coloration that B. spinosissima possesses.</p> <p>The two other large skates in the same geographic range, Bathyraja abyssicola and B. aleutica, are easily differentiated by the dark brown dorsal coloration that the two species display and by the fact that both species possess middorsal and nuchal thorns, which B. spinosissima lacks. Furthermore, B. spinosissima has significantly longer internarial and interspiracular widths than B. abyssicola and B. aleutica.</p> <p>Remarks. The species appears to prefer rockier habitat than its congeners, as it has been documented over rocky substrate (Kuhnz et al., 2019). The preference for rocky substrate may account for why no fresh specimens were captured for this study. The study utilized bottom trawl, which does not work on highly rugose surfaces. Observations from remotely operated vehicles show that this species prefers to swim at slow speeds several meters above the seafloor (Kuhnz et al., 2019). This species has been witnessed to use deepsea vents for incubating it egg cases, making it the first reported example of a chondrichthyan using volcanic activity for the purposes of incubation (Salinas-de-León et al., 2018).</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987A4931CFFCF73D5FB9ACE4E0D2A	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Knuckey, James D. S.;Ebert, David A.	Knuckey, James D. S., Ebert, David A. (2022): A taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific softnose skates (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae: Bathyraja Ishiyama). Zootaxa 5142 (1): 1-89, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5142.1.1, URL: http://zoobank.org/ab36996c-74d9-416a-94c2-106345faff75
038987A49316FFD073D5FF23C8DE0CCF.text	038987A49316FFD073D5FF23C8DE0CCF.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Bathyraja trachura (Gilbert 1892)	<div><p>Bathyraja trachura (Gilbert, 1892)</p> <p>Figures 35–37; Tables 7, 8, 9</p> <p>Roughtail Skate</p> <p>Raja abyssicola Gilbert, 1892: 539 [Proceedings of the United States National Museum] v. 14 (no. 880). Holotype: USNM 46930. <a href="http://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=-117.525&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=32.675003" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long -117.525/lat 32.675003)">Off Santa Barbara</a>, California, USA, 32°40'30"N, 117°31'30"W, Albatross station 2923, depth 822 fathoms.</p> <p>Raja trachura: Gilbert, 1892: 539; Goode &amp; Bean, 1895: 509 (listed); Gilbert, 1896: 398; Garman, 1913: 344 (compiled); Jordan &amp; Evermann, 1896: 75 (compiled); Townsend &amp; Nichols, 1925: 6 (description); Fowler, 1930: 502 (listed); Jordan et al., 1930: 26 (listed); Schultz &amp; DeLacy, 1935: 368 (range); Barnhart, 1936: 13 (compiled); Schultz, 1936: 132 (key); Schultz &amp; DeLacy, 1936: 214 (reference); Taranetz, 1937: 51 (key); Grinols, 1965: 28 (listed); Isakson et al., 1971: 668 (listed); Miller &amp; Lea, 1972: 44 (description, figure, key); Quast &amp; Hall, 1972: 4 (listed); Robins et al., 1980: 14 (listed).</p> <p>Bathyraja trachura: Stehmann, 1978: 53 (reference); Eschmeyer et al., 1983: 51, fig. 11, pl. 4 (description); Stehmann, 1986: 263; McAllister, 1990: 35; Castro-Aguirre &amp; Espinosa Pérez, 1996: 27 (listed); McEachran &amp; Dunn, 1998: 286 (listed); Dolganov, 1999: 429; Compagno, 1999 (listed): 489; Sheiko &amp; Fedorov, 2000: 15; Mecklenburg et al., 2002: 105 (listed); Hoff, 2002: 145; Ebert, 2003: 202–203 (description, distribution); Fedorov et al., 2003: 20; Stevenson et al., 2004: 311; Stehmann, 2005a: S35; Stehmann, 2005b: S53; Ebert &amp; Compagno, 2007: 117 (listed); Ebert &amp; Davis, 2007: 9–10 (egg case description); Ruiz-Campos et al., 2010: 366 (description, figure, range); Parin et al., 2014 (listed): 34; Dyldin, 2015: 66 (listed); Del Moral-Flores et al., 2016: 110 (listed); Weigmann, 2016: 97 (listed); Last et al., 2016: 27, 423 (figure, listed); Ebert et al., 2017: 21, 59, 68 (description, distribution, key, listed); Dyldin &amp; Orlov, 2018: 171; Ehemann et al., 2018: 24; Burton &amp; Lea, 2019: 33 (listed).</p> <p>Diagnosis. Moderately sized skates (910 mm TL), disc length (28.7–56.7% TL), pectorals are broadly rounded, head length short (15.0–24.1% TL), preorbital length short (9.0–13.5% TL); claspers short, tip of clasper relatively rounded, large pseudosiphon present, possesses a strong, short pseudorhipidion, not reaching the tip, V-shaped cleft, projection absent; teeth in 27–36 and 26–36 rows on upper and lower jaw, respectively; pectoral fin radials 81; pelvics, 23; total vertebrae 109; dorsal surface covered with rough prickles, prickles on tail are larger and more robust; thorns present on dorsal surface, mature males with alar thorns, malar thorns absent, middorsal thorns weak or absent (0–1); nuchal thorns small or obsolete (0–3); tail thorns moderate (21–30); interdorsal thorns small to occasionally absent (0–1); dorsal coloration dark purple, brown, or grey, spiracles occasionally pale, ventral coloration a lighter grey than dorsal surface, often possessing white blotching on mouth, gills, cloaca, and scattered across the body.</p> <p>Description. A moderately sized skate with a rhomboidal disc, 1.1–2.0 times as broad as long; anterior margin moderately concave in adult males, straight to moderately convex beside and just forward of eyes; apex broadly rounded; posterior margin slightly convex; free rear tip broadly rounded. Head length relatively short 15.0–24.1% TL; preorbital snout length very short 9.0–13.5% TL; preoral length short 8.0–13.5% TL. Snout tip pointed, possessing no fleshy process at apex. Eye length moderate 2.5–5.0% TL; interorbital width short 3.7–5.6% TL. Spiracles average 1.5–3.9% TL, oval shaped. Mouth width short 6.7–8.1% TL. Nasal curtain length relatively short 2.1–4.1% TL, width average 5.9–9.7% TL, its posterior margin highly fringed at the corners; anterior margin of curtain lobe-like. Interspiracular space short 4.7–7.9%. Internarial distance relatively long 5.1–8.7% TL; first gill slit length relatively long 1.8–2.7% TL; fifth gill slit length 0.3–2.9% TL; distance between gill slits moderate, distance between first gill slits 12.3–21.2% TL, and distance between fifth gill slits 7.7–13.3% TL. Upper jaw moderately well arched, possessing a symphysis; lower jaw convex. Teeth similar in both jaws; teeth unicuspid, with a strong, bluntly pointed posteriorly directed cusp; arranged in longitudinal rows; teeth relatively high in number and similar in number, upper teeth (27–36) and lower teeth (26–36).</p> <p>Pelvic fins moderate overall; anterior lobe 7.4–10.7% TL, posterior lobe short 8.3–15.2% TL, and similar between sexes and maturities, inner margin deeply incised. Tail relatively moderately sized 42.7–61.2% TL, stout, wider at base, tapering to the first dorsal fin origin, not expanded in the middle. Lateral tail fold short, 8.6–17.9% TL, similar in both sexes; not obviously broader at any point along its length. Dorsal fins moderate in size and shape, first dorsal fin slightly taller than second dorsal fin, 2.0–3.0% TL and 1.7–2.7% TL, respectively; first dorsal fin slightly longer than the second dorsal fin, 3.0–4.0% TL and 2.7–3.9% TL, respectively; anterior margins of both fins concave, apices rounded; free rear tip rounded; interdorsal space absent or short 0.0–1.6% TL; rear tip of first dorsal fin not overlapping base of second dorsal fin. Caudal fin large, low, height 0.6–2.0% TL; its dorsal margin weakly concave; connected to second dorsal fin by a small membranous ridge.</p> <p>Dorsal surface covered with prickles and some thorns, with the prickles on the tail being larger than elsewhere; ventral surface smooth. Middorsal, nuchal, interdorsal, and tail thorns present, males with a well-developed set of alar thorns; malar thorns absent; thorns vary in size, from very weakly to moderately well-developed. Middorsal thorns absent or weakly developed (0–1); nuchal thorns absent or weakly developed (0–3); tail thorns moderate in size (21–30); interdorsal thorns weakly developed and occasionally absent (0–1). Thorns in a single, non-continuous row; no multiple rows of thorns on body. Alar thorn patches possess 4–6 rows and 20–23 columns on both pectoral fins.</p> <p>......Continued on the next page</p> <p>TABLE 7. (Continued)</p> <p>Mature claspers short and robust, base length 1.9–2.5% TL, inner length 19.1–25.7% TL, tip of clasper bulbous and relatively rounded (Figure 38). Clasper inner length 41.7–44.7% of tail length; a large pseudosiphon is present near the outer lateral edge of dorsal lobe, its length 33.0% of the length of the clasper; inner surface of dorsal lobe with robust, shortened pseudorhipidion that does not reach the tip of the clasper; V-shaped cleft; projection absent from tip.</p> <p>Clasper skeleton consists of 3 dorsal terminal, 1 accessory terminal, ventral terminal and axial cartilages; dorsal terminal 1 large and rectangular, covering almost the entire dorsal surface, curved around clasper onto the ventral side and united with ventral terminal; dorsal terminal 1 forms the pseudosiphon externally; tip of dorsal marginal is pointed, forming the relatively short pseudorhipidion externally; accessory terminal 1 narrow and does not form a sentinel externally; tip of the ventral marginal is pointed and does not form a projection externally.</p> <p>Dermal denticles possess 4 points to the base; very well-developed on the posterior third of the dorsal surface; denticles on both the first dorsal fin and the head stout, curved towards posterior, found in low densities (Figure 39).</p> <p>Length of rostral cartilage 41.7–47.2% of cranial length; prefontanelle rostral length 44.9–50.4%; cranial width 89.4–92.1%; least interorbital width 16.5–20.3%; length of anterior prefontanelle 17.3%; length of posterior prefontanelle 8.7%; length of rostral appendices 11.8–15.4%. Rostral appendices nearly straight; anterior fontanelle dagger-shaped; posterior fontanelle gourd-shaped and longer than anterior one (Figure 40).</p> <p>Coloration. Dorsal coloration dark purple, brown, or dark grey. Spiracles sometimes pale; claspers externally dark, but internally pale; pelvic fins brown-purple. Ventral coloration grey, lighter in color overall than the dorsal surface, often with white blotches around mouth, gill area, cloaca, and scattered across the body; cloaca light pink to brown. Coloration after preservation is uniform brown dorsally and lighter brown ventrally, with the pale blotches still being present.</p> <p>Egg case description. Egg cases are small in size (62–78 mm TL), dark brown in coloration, becoming a light golden brown on keels, smooth and plush-like when touched. Possess long, slender horns at each corner of the case. Horns curve inwardly and slightly overlap at their tips. A distinct crossbar originating midway along posterior horns is present in some specimens (Ebert, 2003; Ebert &amp; Davis, 2007).</p> <p>Distribution. Bathyraja trachura has been confirmed as occurring in the eastern North Pacific, specifically from the Bering Sea, south to the Gulf of California, Mexico, and as far west as the Sea of Okhotsk (Ebert, 2003; Kuhnz et al., 2019). It is reported to occur at depths of 213–2,550 m, with most specimens coming from below 600 m in California (Ebert, 2003), but from deeper than 500 m in Alaska (Stevenson et al. 2004).</p> <p>Biological notes. Size at maturity for males 74 cm TL; 80 cm TL for females (Winton et al., 2013). Males grow to at least 90 cm TL; females grow to at least 89 cm TL. Size at birth is 9–16 cm TL (Ebert, 2003). Maximum size to at least 90 cm TL. Maximum age has been estimated to be 20 years for males and 17 years for females (Davis et al., 2007). Feed mostly on benthic organisms, including annelids, shrimps, crabs, and fishes. Adults tend to prefer fishes, whereas juveniles consumer mostly invertebrates (Ebert, 2003).</p> <p>Habitat. Found in deeper waters than hardnose skates that share similar ranges (Ebert, 2003). Reported to prefer medium to cold temperatures and low oxygen environments compared to its congeners (Kuhnz et al., 2019). Unlike other members of the bathyrajids in the ENP, it is found over a wide range of substrates, from fine sediment to rocky environments (Kuthnz et al., 2019).</p> <p>Etymology. The species was named after the Greek trachys, meaning rough, referring to the thorny dorsal surface.</p> <p>Comparisons. Bathyraja trachura is a wide-ranging, medium-sized skate that can be easily separated from its congeners in the ENP. Preorbital snout length significantly shorter than every species but B. spinosissima (F 6,104 = 12.4, p &lt;0.0001). Large-bodied skates in the region (e.g., B. abyssicola, B. aleutica and B. spinosissima) display obvious coloration differences that separate them from B. trachura. Bathyraja interrupta, a similarly sized species, possesses middorsal, nuchal, and scapular thorns, which B. trachura lacks and has a pale ventral side compared to the dark surface of B. trachura. Bathyraja kincaidii, which has similar thorns to B. interrupta, distinguishes itself from B. trachura in its long interdorsal space. In fact, B. trachura often lacks an interdorsal space entirely.</p> <p>Bathyraja trachura is closely related to B. microtrachys morphologically, but can be distinguished from the later species based on several characteristics. Besides the coloration, dermal denticle, and morphological differences listed in the prior B. microtrachys comparison, both species possess short and robust mature claspers, but B. microtrachys has a very long pseudorhipidion that nearly touches the tip of the clasper. Conversely, B. trachura has a short pseudorhipidion that does not approach the tip. Further mature clasper differences exist, in that B. trachura possesses an external projection, whereas the structure is absent in B. microtrachys. As with other species, the thorn counts can indicate differences between species. Bathyraja microtrachys does not possess nuchal thorns, but the thorns are present in B. trachura. Bathyraja trachura is the only species in the study that possesses nuchal thorns, but lacks middorsal or scapular thorns. Other species either possess thorns in all those locations, or lack them entirely.</p> <p>Remarks. Reported to be one of the most abundant skates in its range and distribution and has the widest habitat preference when compared to its congeners (Kuhnz et al., 2019). This species has been reported to exhibit leucism, with a partially albino specimen coming from the coast of California (Bigman et al., 2015).</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987A49316FFD073D5FF23C8DE0CCF	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Knuckey, James D. S.;Ebert, David A.	Knuckey, James D. S., Ebert, David A. (2022): A taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific softnose skates (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae: Bathyraja Ishiyama). Zootaxa 5142 (1): 1-89, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5142.1.1, URL: http://zoobank.org/ab36996c-74d9-416a-94c2-106345faff75
038987A49375FFAA73D5FEDBCDF808D9.text	038987A49375FFAA73D5FEDBCDF808D9.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Bathyraja , Ishiyama 1958	<div><p>Key to Northeast Pacific Bathyraja skates (Modified after Ebert et al., 2017)</p> <p>1 Scapular thorns present................................................................................. 2</p> <p>- Scapular thorns absent................................................................................. 4</p> <p>2 Dorsal surface with a discontinuous row of median thorns...........................Bering Skate, Bathyraja interrupta</p> <p>- Dorsal surface with continuous row of median thorns......................................................... 3</p> <p>3 Ventral surface white except for snout, posterior disc margins, pelvic fins, anal area, and underside of tail, which are prominent dark brown or gray…........................................................Aleutian Skate, Bathyraja aleutica</p> <p>- Ventral surface white with occasional brown blotches on tail….................... Sandpaper Skate, Bathyraja kincaidii</p> <p>4 Disc thorns present....................................................... Deepsea Skate, Bathyraja abyssicola</p> <p>- Disc thorns absent..................................................................................... 5</p> <p>5 Ventral surface coarsely textured, very rough to the touch...................Pacific White Skate, Bathyraja spinosissima</p> <p>- Ventral surface smooth to the touch....................................................................... 6</p> <p>6 Dorsal and ventral colors different; dorsal coloration uniformly brown above, ventral surface white except for tail, pectoral fins, and pelvic region, which are brown.................................... Fine-Spined Skate, Bathyraja microtrachys</p> <p>- Dorsal and ventral colors similar; uniformly plum brown to black, except for occasional white blotches on abdomenRoughtail Skate, Bathyraja trachura</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038987A49375FFAA73D5FEDBCDF808D9	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Knuckey, James D. S.;Ebert, David A.	Knuckey, James D. S., Ebert, David A. (2022): A taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific softnose skates (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae: Bathyraja Ishiyama). Zootaxa 5142 (1): 1-89, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5142.1.1, URL: http://zoobank.org/ab36996c-74d9-416a-94c2-106345faff75
