Broadnose skate
Bathyraja brachyurops
A large skate of the cold south-western Atlantic and south-eastern Pacific shelf, out of sight on the seabed; no sighting is a promise.
Near Threatened (IUCN, 2020) means it is close to qualifying for a threatened category, mainly because of fishing pressure on a slow-growing skate.
Length
Up to about 103 cm (41 in) for males in FishBase; Wikipedia gives about 125 cm (49 in). Around the Falkland Islands it reached about 125 cm by age 20.
Weight
Up to about 10.7 kg (23.6 lb) recorded in FishBase.
Next to a person
The largest are about as long as a child of four to eight years is tall, and the heaviest recorded weighs about as much as a one-year-old child
What it eats
An opportunistic predator. In Argentine waters the diet was mainly fish, including hake heads discarded by the fishery. FishBase gives it a trophic level of 4.1, which means it feeds high in the food web.
Around people
Rarely seen, give space
How it lives
It lays eggs in capsules with horn-like projections, and the embryos feed on yolk only. Around the Falkland Islands it matures at 8 to 10 years and spawns all year on grounds above the shelf break. FishBase rates its resilience as low, with a minimum population doubling time of 4.5 to 14 years. It lives at depths of 81 to 313 m in FishBase and 28 to 604 m in Wikipedia, mostly shallower than 250 m. Lifespan is not given in the sources I opened.
Where it goes
Around the Falkland Islands it lives mainly on the shelf in water shallower than 250 m. Spawning takes place on grounds separate from those of a related skate. I did not find tracking data in the sources I opened.
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
IUCN Near Threatened (2020 assessment, errata 2021). FishBase gives 7 February 2019 as the assessment date and criterion A2bd. It lives from Valdivia and the Strait of Magellan in Chile to Argentina and the Falkland Islands. It is a major catch in the Falkland Islands skate fishery. There, catch and abundance rose between 1994 and 2013, while size at 50 percent maturity fell in areas that are still fished. FishBase rates its vulnerability to fishing as high to very high. I did not find a total population count.
Meet it respectfully
It lives on the seabed, mostly 28 to 600 m down, so visitors rarely see one. If you ever meet one, keep your distance and never chase, touch or feed it. Follow local rules and your guide.
Fun fact
Tap the bulb to light it up.
Its egg capsules have horn-like projections on the shell.
Around the Falkland Islands it takes about 20 years to reach roughly 125 cm and matures at 8 to 10 years.
In Argentine waters its diet is mainly fish, including hake heads discarded by the fishery.
Broadnose skate in the Ocean Atlas
Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.
Travel with usComing soonTrusted referralExploringOn pause, story onlyEthics pass
Country colour: pink where we travel, blue where we are exploring or refer, grey for story only.
Argentina
Chile
Falkland Islands
France
Ireland
Spain
United KingdomSources for this page
- FishBase, Bathyraja brachyurops, 2026
- Wikipedia, Broadnose skate, 2026
- GBIF, IUCN Red List category lookup, 2026
- Arkhipkin et al., 2008, ICES Journal of Marine Science
- Winter et al., 2015, Journal of Fish Biology
- Tschopp et al., 2020, Journal of Fish Biology
Facts checked 5 October 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.
Work in ocean travel?
We are always happy to hear from exceptional local operators, accommodation, conservation organisations and destination experts. If your work fits responsible, small-group ocean travel, we would love to learn more.
Partner with Ocean CallingNot sure where to go? Get your Ocean Match
from CHF 19