Sandy ray

How it lives

A bottom-dweller of offshore shelf waters and the upper slope on sand and mud, reported at depths from 10 to 800 m and usually near 100 m. It lays eggs in oblong capsules about 8 to 9 cm long and 5 cm wide, with the embryo fed by its yolk. One source reports egg cases laid between August and November. Young skates may follow large objects, such as their mother. I found no figure for lifespan.

Where it goes

Movements are not described in the sources I read. It stays on the sea floor, typically near 100 m on the outer shelf and upper slope.

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

Vulnerable worldwide (IUCN, assessed 20 February 2024), with declining numbers linked to fishing. Older or regional ratings were higher: Endangered in Europe and Critically Endangered in the Mediterranean. It is not targeted, but is caught as bycatch, and its landing is not prohibited in Scottish waters, where it is a Priority Marine Feature and most common in the west and north. I did not find a population count in the sources I read. It ranges from Iceland to Morocco and in the Mediterranean.