Winter skate explained

The winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata) is a globally-endangered species of skate found in the surrounding waters of northeastern North America. They inhabit shallow shelf waters and are prone to bycatch during commercial fishing.^[1]

Description

The winter skate can reach a maximum size of 109 cm. It reaches maturity around 12 years of age, depending on the sex and area.^[2]

The skates fins are used for swimming, while its tail remains stiff during most movements.^[3]

Distribution and habitat

This skate can be found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, ranging from North of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to South of Newfoundland and Labrador. Winter skates prefer sand and gravel habitats. They are primarily found in depths below 111 m and up to 371 m and in temperatures ranging between -1.2 and -15 C.The local populations of the winter skate are not all evenly distributed. They are facing extirpation in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, for example,^[4] resulting in a lot fewer egg cases found on local beaches. Their range has declined 99% from the 1980s to 2015 in that sector.^[5]

Threats to the skate population include grey seals^[6] and fishing bycatch.

Notes and References

1. Web site: COSEWIC . 2015 . COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata) . 2022-05-09.
2. Web site: Government of Canada . Fisheries and Oceans Canada . 2016-12-19 . Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata) . 2022-05-21 . www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
3. Web site: Government of Canada . Fisheries and Oceans Canada . 2016-12-19 . External anatomy . 2024-05-14 . www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
4. Kelly . J. T. . Hanson . J. M. . March 2013 . Maturity, size at age and predator-prey relationships of winter skate Leucoraja ocellata in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence: potentially an undescribed endemic facing extirpation: BIOLOGY OF SGSL LEUCORAJA OCELLATA . Journal of Fish Biology . en . 82 . 3 . 959–978 . 10.1111/jfb.12030. 23464554 .
5. Web site: Government of Canada . Public Services and Procurement Canada . Information archivée dans le Web . 2022-05-09 . publications.gc.ca.
6. Swain . Douglas P. . Benoît . Hugues P. . Hammill . Mike O. . Sulikowski . James A. . 2019 . Risk of extinction of a unique skate population due to predation by a recovering marine mammal . Ecological Applications . en . 29 . 6 . 10.1002/eap.1921 . 1051-0761.