#blue skate

[todropscience]

The egg case of the flapper skate (Dipturus batis), also called the blue skate or the gray skate, is enormous compared to that of the thornback ray (Raja clavata). It measures 29 by 12,5 centimeters!

An egg case colloquially known as a mermaid's purse is a casing that surrounds the fertilized eggs of some sharks, skates, and chimaeras. They are made of collagen protein strands.

Photo: ecomare

[dailyelasmobranch]

Common skate - Dipturus batis

Despite its name, the common skate was uplisted to critically endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2006. In addition to being a popular target for fishing, it is threatened by bycatch. It is believed that an 80-year old classification error has led to the common skate's depletion as fishermen were unaware that they were fishing this species almost to extinction. At its maximum size it can reach over 9ft long and weigh more than 220lbs, making it the largest species of skate in the world.