Big skate
| Big skate | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Rajiformes |
| Family: | Rajidae |
| Genus: | Beringraja |
| Species: | B. binoculata |
| Binomial name | |
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Beringraja binoculata (Girard, 1855) |
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| Range of the big skate | |
| Synonyms | |
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Dipturus binoculata (Girard, 1858) |
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Dipturus binoculata (Girard, 1858)
Raja binoculata Girard, 1858
Raja cooperi Girard, 1858
The big skate (Beringraja binoculata, syn. Raja binoculata) is the largest species of skate (family Rajidae) in the waters off North America. They are found along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California, typically from the intertidal zone to a depth of 120 m (390 ft), and feed on benthic invertebrates and small fishes. They are unusual among skates in that their egg cases may contain up to seven eggs each. This species is one of the most commercially important skates off California and is sold for food.
This species was described by Charles Frédéric Girard in 1855; its specific epithet binoculata is derived from the Latin bi meaning "two", and oculatus meaning "eyed", referring to the two prominent eyespots on its wings. Girard also described what would later be determined to be a junior synonym of B. binoculata, R. cooperi, based on notes made by James G. Cooper on a decaying big skate found ashore near the entrance of Shoalwater Bay, Washington. In some older literature, this species is placed in the genus Dipturus. In 2012, the big skate was moved from Raja to the new genus Beringraja together with the mottled skate (B. pulchra).
The big skate is found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, from the eastern Bering Sea and the Aleutian Islands, as far south as Cedros Island off central Baja California. It is rare south of Point Conception, California. It occurs in coastal bays, estuaries, and over the continental shelf, usually on sandy or muddy bottoms, but occasionally on low strands of kelp. Though reported to a depth of 800 m (2,600 ft), it is usually found no deeper than 120 m (390 ft). It frequents progressively shallower water in the northern parts of its range. This species is abundant off British Columbia, where it prefers a depth of 26–33 meters (85–108 ft) and a temperature of 7.6–9.4 °C (45.7–48.9 °F).
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