Distribution:

Eastern Atlantic: Ireland and England southward round the Cape (South Africa) to central Mozambique, including western Mediterranean (to Tunisia and western Greece).

Diagnosis:

A giant skate with a broad-based, abruptly narrow-tipped snout covered with small, sharp thorns; pectoral disc angular, and no thorns on nape or back, but three rows of large thorns on tail. Larger immatures and adults grey with numerous small white spots above, underside white with no black pores; hatchlings plain reddish-brown above, often with blue spots, and white below with broad dusky grey margins on disc.

Biology:

Inhabits shelf and slope waters. Found on sand and rock-sand bottom. A bottom-predator of bony fishes, other elasmobranchs, fish offal, crabs, shrimps, mysids, octopi, and cuttlefish.

Max. size: 230.0 cm

Environment: demersal; depth range 30 - 600 m

Climate: subtropical; 53°N - 35°S

Canary Islands country information: Name: Raya picuda