Dipturus lanceorostratus (Wallace, 1967)
Rattail skate
Dipturus lanceorostratus
photo by FAO

Family:  Rajidae (Skates)
Max. size:  82 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathydemersal; brackish; marine; depth range - 439 m
Distribution:  Western Indian Ocean: known only from off the Limpopo River mouth, Mozambique.
Diagnosis:  A pale-spotted longnose skate with an elongated, acutely triangular snout, and a very slender tail- as long as body and tapering from base to tip; disc with angular corners and smooth underside except of small denticles on edges and tip of snout; thorns on upper surface of disc and tail conspicuously lighter than surrounding skin; spine at nape (Ref. 5578). Dark grey with numerous small light spots dorsally; grey with black pores ventrally, and with light areas around gills and at front of edge of disc (Ref. 5578).
Biology:  Probably taken by offshore trawlers (Ref. 5578). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 24 April 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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