Little Skate 259 



Little Skate 

 Raja erinacea Mitchill 



Color: Upper surface of body light to dark brown; scat- 

 tered dark brown spots. Lower surface white or light gray. 

 Distribution: Massachusetts Bay to Florida. 

 Size: Largest size recorded about 21 inches long. A speci- 

 men of this length weighs about 2 pounds. 

 General Information: Common in shallow waters along the 

 coast, but has been taken in depths down to 480 feet. 

 Crabs and shrimp form an important part of its diet. It 

 also feeds on squid, shellfish, worms, and small fishes in- 

 cluding the silversides, sand launces, and herrings. The 

 Little Skate matures when 18-20 inches long. The eggs are 

 laid in early spring and summer. Newborn young are 

 3>V2-A inches long. 



Economic Importance: One of the commonest skates along 

 the coasts of New England and the Middle Atlantic. Often 

 taken in quantity by the commercial fisheries, but most of 

 the catch is discarded. Small quantities are used as bait in 

 eel and lobster traps. The Little Skate is probably the 

 species of skate most frequently caught by the angler. 



