Raja texana
Roundel Skate
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fishes)
Rajiformes (Skates)
Rajidae (Skates)
Raja
Raja texana (Roundel Skate)
Description
This species account was compiled from
McEachran & Fechhelm (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
Lozenge-shaped disc; moderately long, slightly obtuse snout; moderately slender tail with two dorsal fins and a moderately developed caudal fin. Snout is moderately long (preorbital length is 14% to 18% of TL) and slightly obtuse (maximum snout angle is 90° to 106°). Pectoral radials extend to midlength of snout. Mouth is moderately arched on either side of symphysis. Upper jaw has 44 to 48 tooth rows. Oronasal pit is absent. Anterior pelvic lobe is connected to posterior lobe by fin membrane and is 67% to 72% of length of posterior lobe. Lateral margin of pelvic lobe is moderately incised. Tail is 54% to 55% of TL and has lateral folds extending nearly entire length of tail. Dorsal fins are similar in size and shape and are separated by interspace of 30% to 100% of first dorsal fin length. Caudal fin is moderately developed and consists of long, moderately low dorsal lobe. Dorsal surface is devoid of dermal denticles except on tip of snout, rostrum, area between spiracles, and along midbelt of disc to origin of first dorsal fin in adult specimens. Moderate-sized thorns occur on orbital rim and along midline of disc from nuchal region to origin of first dorsal fin. Midrow thorns are flanked by one or two irregular rows of thorns. Ventral surface is naked except for dermal denticles on snout and along anterior margin of disc.
Color is dark brown dorsally, with ocellus on medial part of each pectoral fin, and white to yellowish white ventrally. Ocelli have dark brown to black center and are bordered with light yellow ring. Young specimens often have indistinct light spots and blotches scattered over dorsal aspect of disc.
Distribution
Western North Atlantic in the Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatan Bank, and off the southeastern coast of Florida.
Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Depth range: 15 to 110 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 537 mm TL
Males mature at 470 mm TL
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described
References
Gunter 1945
Bigelow and Schroeder 1953a
Castro-Aguirre et al. 1970
Hoese and Moore 1977
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Comments On Raja texana