Dactylobatus clarkii
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fishes)
Rajiformes (Skates)
Rajidae (Skates)
Dactylobatus
Dactylobatus clarkii
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Heart-shaped disc; long, very obtuse snout; moderately slender tail with two dorsal fins and a moderately developed caudal fin; thorns on rostrum, orbital rim, nuchal and scapular region, and along midline from scapular region to origin of first dorsal fin; preorbital length about 14% of TL; maximum snout angle about 134°; pectoral radials extend to level of tip of snout but are separated from rostrum by a distinct hyaline-like interspace; mouth slightly arched on either side of symphysis; upper jaw has 60 to 63 tooth rows; oronasal pit absent; anterior lobe of pelvic fin connected to posterior lobe by fin membrane and is about two-thirds length of posterior lobe; lateral margin of pelvic fin weakly incised; tail about 47% of TL with lateral folds extending over entire length; dorsal fins similar in size and shape, separated by interspace equal to one-third first dorsal fin base; caudal fin consists solely of long, low dorsal lobe; dorsal surface of disc and tail sparsely covered with small dermal denticles.
Pale brown with dark markings dorsally and white ventrally; irregular grayish band along posterior margin of disc and posterior margin of pelvic fin; dorsal surface has several symmetrically arranged and irregularly shaped white markings outlined with dark margin.
Distribution
Western North Atlantic from the east coast of Florida, the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Depth range: 366 to 915 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 747 mm TL
Inhabits mud-bottom habitat on the upper slope, generally in waters deeper than 350 meters. Mainly feeds on small bony fishes (Ref. 114953). Stomach contents include one specimen of Mullus argentinae, remains of a teleost fish and predominance of Myctophidae fishes. Sympatric with other chondrichthyans, Etmopterus bigelowi, Squalus aff. blainvillei, and Dipturus leptocauda (Ref. 56543). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: internal (oviduct); nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2019-06-20. Resilience: Low (Fec assumed to be <100).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described
References
Bigelow and Schroeder 1958
Bigelow and Schroeder 1962
Bigelow and Schroeder 1965
Bigelow and Schroeder 1968a
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez (1992) Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
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.
Castro-Aguirre, J.L. and H. Espinosa Perez (1996) Listados faunísticos de México. VII. Catálogo sistemático de las rayas y especies afines de México. (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii: Rajiformes: Batoideiomorpha). Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico. 75 p.
Soto, J.M.R., C.E.N. Consulim and M.B. de Souza Filho (2004) First record of Clark's fingerskate, Dactylobatus clarkii (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1958) (Chondrichthyes, Rajidae), in the South Atlantic. Mare Magnum 2(1-2):145-148.
Comments On Dactylobatus clarkii