SKATES. 
1119 
fectly soft and smooth", without a sign of spinulae, in 
ordinary cases even under the snout and tail, except at 
the extreme tip. The dorsal side is for the most part 
naked, if we except the edge of the anterior lateral 
margins of the disk, which is fringed with coarse, scat- 
tered spinulae with stellate base, the rostral cartilage, 
where similar, but still more scattered spinulae appear, 
the dorsal fins, and the tail. The latter is somewhat 
roughened with fine, very dense spines. These spines 
present the peculiarity of being distributed in two 
longitudinal bands, broad in front, narrowing behind, 
which extend between the aculei of the median and 
lateral rows, back to the sides of the base of the second 
dorsal fin, the outer margin of each band touching the 
lateral row of aculei, but the inner margin falling a 
little short of the median row, so that the spinal column 
itself, on which the aculei are situated, is covered between 
them with quite smooth skin. The ordinary aculei are the 
following: a) a few before and behind the eyes, b) a row 
along the back and the middle of the tail, though it should 
be observed that the aculei in the anterior part of this 
row are often worn, short and tuberous, here and there, 
or wanting at certain spots, c) 2 to 4 on each side of 
the spinal column above the scapular cartilage, and d) 
a row of smaller aculei on each side of the tail, oc- 
cupying the extreme lateral margin, just above the 
membrane with which this is edged. The aculei have 
a singular and rather easily recognisable form. The 
base is a triangular cone, with compressed sides, sharp 
in front, truncate behind, and with a hollow and grooved 
or somewhat radiate surface, and from this rather elevated 
base there springs abruptly a very short cusp, usually 
directed obliquely backwards, but on one or two of the 
aculei at the side-margins of the tail antrorse. No 
aculeus is ever present between the two dorsal fins. 
The coloration is above of a plain bluish gray, 
underneath of a pure milky white, with a grayish band 
along the middle of the tail and a spot of the same 
tint on each side of the anus. Sometimes a darker 
tinge appears on the margins of the disk, both above 
and below, being apparently a remnant of the juvenile 
dress which has given rise to the name of marginata. 
The external differences of sex are the ordinary 
ones. 
The haunts of the Sharp-nosed Skate are the same 
as those of the Shagreen Skate, but it is more frequently 
caught by the fisherman. It lives at the same consider- 
able depth. Middle-aged individuals preponderate among 
the Sharp-nosed Skate taken on the Norwegian banks. 
In Bohuslan this species bears the names of Spanjor 
(Spaniard) and Blagarnsrocka (Canvas Skate), and is well 
known and distinguished from the others by every ex- 
perienced fisherman. As we have already mentioned, 
our Sharp-nosed Skate is probably the same species as 
the French Bale lisse et blanche , which has been an 
article of trade between French and English fishermen 
for centuries, the former visiting the English coast to 
purchase this fish for transportation to their own country, 
where on account of its fleshiness it is more in demand 
than other Rays. (Fries, Smitt.) 
B: Ventral side of the body gray or grayish black, punctated with black dots and lines. — True Skates. 
The two dorsal fins are separated, sometimes with, sometimes without interjacent aculei. The ventral side 
is of a dirty grayish or blackish colour, with numerous black pores, opening into curvilinear muciferous canals 
(Lorenzinian ampullae and divisions of the lateral line). No ordinary aculei on the back, but only on the tail 
and sometimes at the eyes. These species attain a considerable size, live in very deep water, and are highly 
valued for their flesh. (Fkies.) 
The relations between the three following species 
are very highly suggestive of the same close kinship as 
we have considered at length above, especially in the 
families of the Flounders and Salmons. These Skates 
compose a form-series in which the specific distinctions 
are more or less obvious expressions of the differences 
of age and sex. The most prominent specific charac- 
ters depend on the prolongation and contraction of the 
anterior part of the body, especially the rostral region. 
In this respect one of the Scandinavian forms, the com- 
° Sometimes, however, spines occur on the \mder surface of the snout; and in Raja alba ( bramante ) the anterior margins of the 
pectoral fins are also sometimes spinigerous underneath. 
Scandinavian Fishes. 
141 
