Clearnose skate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clearnose skate |
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The clearnose skate (Raja eglanteria) is a cool type of fish with a flat body, like a pancake! It's part of the skate family. You might also hear them called the brier skate or summer skate. You can easily spot them by the clear, see-through patches on each side of their nose. They also have a bumpy, spotted back. These skates live in the shallow waters along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States.
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About Clearnose Skates
Clearnose skates are a type of elasmobranch. This group includes sharks and rays. They belong to the order Rajiformes and the family Rajidae. There are almost 30 different kinds of skates in their group, called Raja. The clearnose skate was first described in 1800 by a scientist named Bosc.
What They Look Like
Clearnose skates get their name from the clear, light-colored spots on both sides of their snout. Their top side is usually brown or gray. Their belly side is white. The top of their fins also has dark brown or black spots and stripes.
Body Shape and Size
These skates have a body shape like a diamond. Their snout and fins form a rough right angle. Adult clearnose skates can grow up to 79 centimeters (about 31 inches) long. They can be 52 centimeters (about 20 inches) wide. Their tail is about half of their total body length.
Thorns and Prickles
A cool feature of clearnose skates is a line of thorns. These thorns run down the middle of their back and tail. The rest of their top side is covered in small prickles. This is why they are sometimes called "brier skates." These prickles are thicker near their head and along their spine.
Where They Live
Clearnose skates live along the eastern coast of the United States. You can find them from Massachusetts in the north down to Florida. Their home range also goes around Florida into the eastern and northern parts of the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat and Water
Like other skates, clearnose skates are demersal. This means they live on or near the bottom of the ocean. They can be found on soft bottoms like mud and sand. They also live on harder surfaces like rocks and gravel.
Clearnose skates like shallow water that is a bit salty. They are most often found at depths less than 111 meters (about 364 feet). But they can sometimes be in water as deep as 330 meters (about 1,082 feet). Where they live depends on the season. In winter and spring, they stay closer to shore. In summer and fall, they move further offshore.
They can live in water temperatures from 5 to 30 degrees Celsius (41 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit). Skates in the northern parts of their range can handle a wider range of temperatures.
How They Live
What They Eat
Clearnose skates eat crustaceans and mollusks. This includes shrimp and fiddler crabs. They also eat small fish. They usually hunt at night. They search for food along the seafloor.
Clearnose skates have many teeth. They have about 46 to 54 teeth in their upper jaw. They have a similar number in their lower jaw. Their teeth are blunt, small, and close together. This helps them crush the hard shells of their prey. Male skates have sharper teeth than females.
How They Move
Like other batoids (which include rays and skates), clearnose skates can "walk" or "punt" along the ocean floor. They use their special pelvic fins for this. To move forward, a skate pushes its pelvic fin into the seafloor. Then it pushes the fin towards its tail. The rest of its body stays still during this action. Clearnose skates can also swim by waving their large pectoral fins.
Skates use special sensors called neuromasts to figure out where they are. These sensors are part of their lateral line system. This system helps them sense movement and vibrations in the water. It helps them find food and navigate.
How They Reproduce
Clearnose skates are oviparous. This means they lay fertilized eggs. These eggs are often called Mermaid's purses. Each egg case is shaped like a rectangle. It has a small curved horn at each corner. The egg cases are about 6.4 to 7.7 centimeters (2.5 to 3 inches) long. They are about 3.7 to 4.7 centimeters (1.5 to 1.8 inches) wide.
Females lay eggs in pairs. A female can lay up to 30 pairs of eggs. When the female lays an egg, the longer horns come out first. The shorter horns follow. These shorter horns have a sticky substance on them. This helps the egg case stick to the ocean floor.
At first, the baby skate (embryo) is fully inside the egg case. As it grows, a small hole opens near the base of the horns. This hole is called the respiratory canal. It lets seawater flow into the case. The baby skate moves its tail to keep the water flowing.
Life Cycle
The life of a clearnose skate begins when a female lays an egg. Inside the egg case, the embryo starts to grow. Its cells divide, and different body parts begin to form. You can see the head and tail areas develop. Then, parts like the brain, spiracles (breathing holes), and gill filaments form. Other body parts and organs continue to grow. Finally, the spotted pattern on its back develops.
The embryos stay in the egg case for about 12 weeks. When the baby skate gets too big for the case, it breaks free. It pushes out by extending its fins and tail. Newly hatched skates are about 13 to 15 centimeters (5 to 6 inches) long. Their body disc is about 8.4 to 10.5 centimeters (3 to 4 inches) wide.
Clearnose skates become adults between two and six years old. Females take longer to mature than males. Male skates are at least 56 centimeters (22 inches) long when they are adults. Females are at least 59 centimeters (23 inches) long.
Clearnose Skates and Humans
Clearnose skates are not usually caught on purpose by commercial fishing boats. This is because they are small. However, they are often caught by accident. This happens when fishing boats are trying to catch other fish, especially with nets called trawls.
