STINGRAYS’ WINGS. 119 
From an edible point of view the flesh of this species is, 
like that of the Yellow Leatherjacket, of considerable value. 
This is the species mentioned by Ogilby under the name 
of Yellow-finned Leatherjacket. 
Many other species of Leatherjackets occur in our waters, 
and a number of them may be regarded as of more or less 
importance as edible fishes. 
SHARKS AND RAYS. 
It is not my intention to deal exhaustively with these 
fishes, and, generally speaking, they are popularly regarded 
as being altogether ‘“‘ outside the pale’ from an edible stand- 
point. But this is not altogether the case, as there is, even 
at the present time, a slight, and perhaps growing, demand 
for the pectoral flaps or “ wings”’ of the Common Stingray 
(Trygonoptera testacea), while for many years there has been 
a small export of dried-shark’s fins, per medium of the Chinese 
merchants. In addition to these, there are three fishes which 
may, and I think should, come into prominence in the near 
future, when deep-sea fishing is carried out in a practical 
manner. Those which I refer to are three species of true 
skate : the Common Skate (Raja australis), the Great Skate 
(Raja scabra), and another known as Raja mitida. The first 
is very common along our coast, where it attains a length of 
about 20 inches. It was described by Sir William Macleay 
in 1884, and during the short trawling cruise of the “ Thetis ”’ 
in 1898, it was found to be exceedingly abundant at depths 
ranging from 10 to 84 fathoms. The second is a much larger 
species, often weighing over 60 pounds. In regard to Raja 
nitida, the third species mentioned, little is known. It was 
dredged by the “Challenger ’’ Expedition off Twofold Bay at 
a depth of 120 fathoms. 
