Dipturus leptocauda

• Overview
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Family : Skates ; Holotype taken from a depth of 500 m [1]. Oviparous [2]. Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell [3].

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Rajidae

Benthic rays occurring in all oceans, from Arctic to Antarctic waters and from shallow coastal shelfs to abyssal regions; rare in tropical shallow waters or near coral reefs; some species enter brackish waters. Disc quadrangular to rhomboidal . Mouth transversed to arched, with numerous teeth. Five pairs of ventral gill slits . Tail very slender, with lateral folds, usually 2 reduced dorsal fins and a reduced caudal fin. Electric organs weak, developed from caudal muscles. Skin prickly in most species, the prickles often in a row along midline of dorsal. Oviparous ; eggs in a horny capsule with four long tips . A reversal to egg-laying from live-bearing was observed in this group based on fossil records [2]. Skates feed on other benthic organisms. Skate wings are considered good eating. The following subgenus have been elevated to the genus level: Amblyraja, Dipturus, Fenestraja, Leucoraja, Okamejei, Rajella, Rostroraja[4].The family Rajidae belongs to the Class Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) and the Order Rajiformes. It contains 14 genera and 200 species. It may be found in Marine and Brackish environments and is primarily Marine. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is rajiform. Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be normal. Members of this family have been dated back to the Cretaceous period. Etymology of this family name : Latin, raja = ray

Habitat

May be found at depths of 500 to 500 meters.

Biome: Saltwater . Bathydemersal .

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Dipturus leptocaudus (Krefft & Stehmann, 1975)
2. Raja leptocauda Krefft & Stehmann, 1975

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Group expert : McEachran J., Data last modified by FishBase 10-Mar-1999

Similar Species

Members of the genus Dipturus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 46 species and subspecies in this genus:

D. australis · D. batis (Common European Skate) · D. bullisi (Tortugas Skate) · D. campbelli (Blackspot Skate) · D. cerva · D. chilensis (Yellownose Skate) · D. crosnieri (Madagascar Skate) · D. diehli (Thorny Tail Skate) · D. doutrei (Javelin Grunter) · D. ecuadoriensis (Ecuador Skate) · D. flavirostris · D. garricki (San Blas Skate) · D. gigas (Giant Skate) · D. gudgeri (Greenback Skate) · D. innominata · D. innominatus (New Zealand Smooth Skate) · D. johannisdavisi (Travancore Skate) · D. kwangtungensis (Ocellate Spotskate) · D. laevis (Barn-Door Winter Skate) · D. lanceorostratus (Rattail Skate) · D. lemprieri · D. leptocauda (Thintail Skate) · D. leptocaudus (Thintail Skate) · D. linteus (Sharp-Nosed Skate) · D. macrocauda (Bigtail Skate) · D. mennii · D. nasuta · D. nasutus (New Zealand Rough Skate) · D. nidarosiensis (Norwegian Skate) · D. olseni (Spreadfin Skate) · D. oregoni (Hooktail Skate) · D. oxyrinchus (Long-Nosed Burton Skate) · D. polyommata (Argus Grouper) · D. pullopunctata (Slime Skate) · D. pullopunctatus (Slime Skate) · D. sp. nov. L · D. springeri (Roughbelly Skate) · D. stenorhynchus (Prow-Nose Skate) · D. teevani (Prickly Brown Ray) · D. tengu (Acutenose Skate) · D. trachyderma (Roughskin Skate) · D. trachydermus (Roughskin Skate) · D. whitleyi · D. kwangtungensis · D. kwangtungensis · D. nidarosiensis

More Info

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Further Reading

• Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen des FFS 'Walther Herwig' nach Südamerika.
• Eschmeyer, W.N., Editor (1998). Catalog of fishes. Special Publication, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. 3 vols. 2905 p.
• Gomes, U.L. and Costa, S.R. 2003. New records of the thintail skate, Dipturus leptocauda (Rajidae, Rajinae, Rajini), with notes on its taxonomy. Zoologia 11(1):91-95.
• Krefft, G. and Stehmann, M. 1975. Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen des FFS "Walter Herwig" nach Südamerika.
• McEachran, J.D. and K.A. Dunn (1998). Phylogenetic analysis of skates, a morphologically conservative clade of elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia 1998(2):271-290.
• McEachran, John D., and Katherine A. Dunn 1998. Phylogenetic Analysis of Skates, a Morphologically Conservative Clade of Elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia, vol. 1998, no. 2. 271-290.
• Menni, R.C. and Stehmann, M.F.W. 2000. Distribution, environment and biology of batoid fishes off Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, a review. Rev. Mus. Argentino Cienc. Nat. 2(1):69-109.
• Shark Specialist Group. For more information, see the Specialist Group website.
• VI) Zweitere neue Rochenarten aus dem Südwest-atlantic: Raja (Dipturus) leptocauda und Raja (Dipturus) trachyderma spec. nov. (Chondrichthyes, Batoidei, Rajidae). Archiv. Fisherei Wissenchaft 25:77-97.
• VI. Zwei weitere neue Rochenarten aus dem Südwestatlantik: Raja (Dipturus) leptocauda und Raja (Dipterus) trachyderma spec. nov. (Chondrichthyes
• Vooren C.M. 1997. Demersal elasmobranchs. In: U. Seeliger, C. Odebrecht and J.P. Castello (eds). Subtropical Convergence Environments: The Coast and Sea in the Southwestern Atlantic. pp: 141-145. Berlin, Springer Verlag.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 20, 2007.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2007. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed March 21, 2007.
• FishBase
• FishBase 2006.
• Froese, R., and D. Pauly. FishBase 2004. International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management.
• McEachran, John (from FishBase).

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 01, 2008:

• FishBase: FishBase DiGIR Provider - Philippine Server
• SysTax
• SysTax: Zoologisches Institut und Museum Hamburg

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3856469
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Fis-131999
• Fishbase Species ID: 54117
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 564181
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 109410

Footnotes

1. Eschmeyer, W.N., Editor (1998). Catalog of fishes. Special Publication, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. 3 vols. 2905 p. [back]
2. Dulvy, N.K. and J.D. Reynolds (1997). Evolutionary transitions among egg-laying, live-bearing and maternal inputs in sharks and rays. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 264:1309-1315. [back]
3. Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966). Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p. [back]
4. McEachran, J.D. and K.A. Dunn (1998). Phylogenetic analysis of skates, a morphologically conservative clade of elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia 1998(2):271-290. [back]

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