RAYS 71 



picks up small pieces of shell, stones or seaweed, which help 

 to anchor it to the bottom. The " horns " of the capsule 

 are hollow and provided with small slits, through which a 

 current of water flows to the growing embryo. Here the 

 young Skate lives for a period of from 4 h to nearly 15 months, 

 deriving its nourishment from the store of yolk in the egg, 

 until it finally forces its way out through a slit in one end of 

 its prison. 



At one time the Skates and Rays were of comparatively 

 little commercial importance, but. in the British Isles at 

 least, they are now used extensively for food, and as many as 

 558.000 cwts. of these fish are landed by British vessels in an 

 average year. The flesh is perfectly wholesome and nutritious, 

 but in large specimens may be rather coarse and tasteless. 

 Much depends on the manner in which it is cooked, an/: 



noire as served in the best restaurants on the 

 Continent is a dish much appreciated by the epicure. The 

 fishermen catch them both with the trawl and with baited 

 lines. Only the " wings " are used, these being cut off and 

 the remainder of the body thrown away or used for manure. 

 The increasing popularity of Skates and Rays has led to their 

 being overfished on parts of the British coasts, and. in spite 

 of improvements in both boats and gear, the catches show a 

 tendency steadily to decline. 



The Common Skate is sometimes fished for with rod and 

 line by the angler, especially off the coast of Ireland, where it 

 is common. It gives relatively poor sport, however, and 

 when hooked goes straight to the bottom an I si ys there. 

 It is very difficult, indeed often impossible, to raise a large 

 specimen without breaking the tackle, but if its head can be 

 lifted sufficiently the fish comes up like a kite. The record 

 Skate caught by fair anglm. :en at Valencia in : - - 



and weighed 2iSi lb. 



STIXG RAYS. 



mily Trygond 



Rays with the head, trunk ait I gi irged pectoral 



fins united to form a broa, 5 . I disc, well marked off 



from the tail, whi ti whip-like. 



