Blonde ray

How it lives

It lives on sand and mud in temperate water, from about 10 to 380 m, though Fisheries Ireland describes it as mostly inshore down to 100 m. Shallow coastal water is used as a nursery. It lays eggs in oblong capsules with pointed corners, about 10 to 14 cm long. Sources differ on how many a female lays in a year: FishBase says about 40 to 90, Fisheries Ireland about 30 on average, and Wikipedia gives clutches of 40 to 140. Laying is mainly from February to August. Rays mature at about 85 to 92 cm, which Wikipedia puts at 8 to 10 years, and live about 15 years on average.

Where it goes

In one Irish tagging programme, 734 blonde rays were tagged between 1971 and 2009, and some individuals moved more than 100 km. The sources read describe no fixed migration route.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

Assessed as Near Threatened worldwide in April 2023. Wikipedia describes it as slow-growing, long-lived and late to mature, which makes it sensitive to fishing. Fisheries Ireland reports population declines in Irish waters, even though it is locally common in places, and says it is often caught as bycatch. FishBase records a minor commercial fishery and use as a game fish. The range runs from the Shetland Islands to Morocco, and it is rare in the Mediterranean.