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Thornback Skate
Did you know?
The Thornback Skateowes its name to the characteristic thorns that run along its back and tail. These spines serve as effective protection against predators. These spines are particularly pronounced in the females, which have larger and more numerous spines, which protects them better against attacks.
This species of ray is widespread in the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the North and Baltic Seas and the Mediterranean. It prefers sandy or muddy bottoms at depths of up to 300 metres, where it searches for prey such as crustaceans, molluscs and small fish.
The Thornback Skate lays so-called ‘ray eggs’, which are enclosed in rectangular egg capsules. These egg capsules, often referred to as ‘seaweed portemonnaies’, have small horns at the corners and are laid in shallow water on sandy or muddy bottoms. After several months, the young hatch fully developed from these egg capsules.
