Smooth skate | DE L'EAU À LA BOUCHE

Illustration couleur d'une raie à queue de velours.

Petite raie au corps aplati, en forme de losange.

De couleur brun-gris. Son ventre est blanc avec quelques marques plus sombres.

Queue aussi longue que son corps, ce qui la distingue des autres raies.

Son museau est pointu, avec deux zones translucides.

Une rangée de petites épines le long de son dos ainsi que de 3 à 15 épines autour de chaque œil. Les mâles matures ont des épines crochues sur les nageoires pectorales.

Nom

Smooth skate
Malacoraja senta

Type

Bottom fish

Autres appellations

Nom en cuisine

État de la ressource

Cause for concern

Saison de consommation

SIZE :

65 cm, up to 73 cm.

LIFE EXPECTANCY :

15 to 25 years.

LIFE CYCLE :

Females reach sexual maturity around age 11.

Fertilization is internal. Males use their erectile hooks to transfer sperm. Smooth skates reproduce all year round, with females laying 40 to 100 eggs a year. They look like long brown capsules with pointed horns at the corners and are about 5.5 cm long and 4 cm wide.

On the bottom, usually between 150 m and 550 m deep, but can reach depths of up to 1436 m.

The smooth skate favors clay and muddy bottoms and temperatures of 3 ° C to 10 ° C.

PREYS :

Crustaceans
Invertebrates

PREDATORS :

Grey seals
Fish

MACHINES :

No commercial fishing.

REGULATIONS :

This species is not subject to any species-specific management measures in Canada.

The smooth skate suffered a significant decline between the 1970s and 1990s.

When this skate is caught incidentally in fishing operations targeting other species it is released back into the water. Little is known about the annual number of rejects and the associated mortality rate.

BENEFITS :

Skates are rich in protein, vitamin B12, and selenium. They are low in fat..

LET’S COOK :

Delicate, firm texture. Flesh free of bones.

The smooth skate is rarely used when caught, mainly because of its relatively small size.