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First record of Spearnose skate, Rostroraja alba

(Lacep&de1, 803) (Rajiformes: Rajidae) from
Indian waters

Article · January 2006

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Rekha J Nair
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
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 & J. Mar. Biol. Ass. India. 48 (1) : 115 - 117, January - June 2006

Note

First record of Spearnose skate, Rostroraja alba (Lacep&de,1803) (Rajiformes:

Rajidae) from Indian waters
Rekha J. Nair
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, P.B.No. 1603, Ernakulam North P.O., Cochin 682 018, India
Email-rekhajnair@rediffmail.com
Abstract
During a routine field collection at Cochin Fisheries Harbour, Kerala, India, on 27 September 2003, a
specimen of Rosrroraja alba (Laceptde, 1803) was noticed in a drift gill net catch. This is the first record of
the species from Indian waters. An attempt is also made here to redefine the field key for skates given by
Misra (1969) so as to include the new species.

Five species of skates belonging to genus Raja have from English channel, the Mediterranean and the eastern
been recorded from Indian waters by various authors Atlantic (Clark, 1926; Fowler, 1941; Tortonese, 1956),
(Day, 1889; Munro, 195 1; Misra, 1952, 1969) - Raja Namibia to Barra Falsa and West Africa to NE Madagas-
mammillidens, R. powelli, R. johannis-davisi, R. car (Hulley, 1986). R. alba is a demersal species, found
andamanica and R. reversa. Samuel (1963) recorded a in the depth range 30 - 600 m in the subtropical belt in
twin eye skate, Raia ocellifera along the Southwest coast the longitudinal range 53"N - 35"s. Females are said to
of India. R. ocellifera is now considered to be a synonym attain a maximum length of 202 cm.
of Raja miraletus (Wallace, 1967). The other rays are
Distinctive characters: Disc has an extremely undu-
now known by the valid names Fenestraja mamillidens
late margin; snout is long, sharply pointed and abruptly
(Alcock, 1889). Okamejei powelli (Alcock, 1898),
narrowed with a distinct notch. Tail is short, wide, thick,
Dipturus johannisdavisi (Alcock, 1899), Cruriraja
posteriorly tapering with a well-developed lateral series of
andamanica (Lloyd 1909) and Amblyraja reversa (Lloyd,
"bucklers" (thorns with heavy base) (Gravendeel et a/.,
1906) respectively. (Froese and Pauly, 2000).
2002). No cutaneous folds are present on the tail. A large
During a routine field collection at Cochin Fisheries number of white spots are present arranged in a regular
Harbour, Kerala, India, on 27 September 2003, a new pattern on the dorsal surface; they are seen to radiate from
skate hitherto unknown from Indian waters was noticed the spiracle towards the snout and to the extremities of the
in drift gill net catch. The skate was caught by vessels disc width.
operating at depths beyond 200 m off the Southwest coast
Rostroraja alba (Lacepkde, 1803) - Spear nose Skate
of India. The skate was later identified as Rostroraja alba
(Lacefide. 1803). This is the first record of this species Raja alba Lacepkde 1803:661, f 1; pl 20, Rouen,
from Indian waters. With the increase in the number of France
skates recorded in Indian waters, an attempt is made here Raja alba Norman 1935:40, South Atlantic
to redefine the field key for skates given by Misra (1969)
so as to include the two species R. miraletus and R. alba. Raja alba Fowler 1941: 365, Phillipine Archipelago
Raja alba van Bruggen 1965: 190 (rec)
The species R. alba differs from the other skates
available in the Indian waters in the following characters Rostroraja alba McEachran & Dunn 1998:285
- from F. mamillidens and D. johannisdavisi in having Rostroraja alba Heemstra & Heemstra 2004:81
more than 1 row of spines on tail; from A. reversa and
from C. andamanica in the absence of the prominent Material: One single female (total length 119 cm and
rostra1 spine; from 0 . powelli in having the interdorsal disc width 94.7 cm) off Southwest coast of India. The
distance lesser than the base of first dorsal and a brown specimen has been deposited at the Reference Collection
dorsal surface with white dots and from R. miraletus in Museum of CMFRI (CMFRI Reg. No. GA. 11.01.22.1)
the absence of the ocellii. Description: The morphometric measurements are
Distribution: This species had earlier been reported presented in Table 1. Methods for making measurements

Journal of rkr Marille Biologiral As.sociariorz of India (2006)

 116 Reklza J. Nair

and counts follow Wallace (1967) with slight modifica- Discussion

tion. Snout abruptly narrowed and produced into a long
The morphometric characters of the skate R. alba
sharply pointed snout (Fig. I). Disc 1.4 times wider than
long. with a markedly undulate anterior margin. Central described here are in accordance with that of the female
specimen of same species described by Wallace (1967)
part of the snout is bony and with prickles. Eyes are
protruded, placed anterio-laterally and the skin covering and Hulley (1986) from South African waters. Stehmann
the eye has a greenish grey colour. Three rows of thorns (1976) stated that for topographical and climatic reasons,
the northern Indian Ocean was not a center of radiation
(antorbital thorns) are present on the anterior side of each
eye. Seven thorns are present on the inner sides of each of skates and that skates that occur there migrated from
centers of radiation in the Atlantic and western Pacific
eye in the center; two rows of thorns above the spiracle.
The suprascapular region and the interorbital region Oceans. Moreover, vessels nowadays venture out deeper
prickly, but devoid of thorns. Spiracles large, oval shaped into the sea (even upto 400 m) bringing in more varieties
of demersal fishes in the landings. This could possibly be
openings placed just below the eye on the dorsal side. 10
the reason for the presence of new records of skates in
nuchal thorns present in the center below the spiracles,
the Indian waters.
followed by a naked area, which precedes 24 median
abdominal thorns. 1 thorn each present on either side of Key to species of the family Rajidae recorded from
the 22 ""edian abdominal thorn. Teeth, each with a Indian waters (after Misra, 1969)
single large cusp.
1. Snout about 3 - 3.5 times the interorbital distance;
Tail broad, shorter than disc length, and tapering dorsals very close together .................................2
posteriorly into a blunt edge. Thirty-two thorns on the
median axis of the tail, before the first dorsal fin; the Snout about 4.5 times the interorbital distance; dor-
alternate thorns smaller in size. On either side of the sals widely separated by a distance about the length
median row of thorns is another row of thorns or "buck- of the base of first dorsal fin .......................... 3
lers". Scattered thorns pointing outwards arise from the 2. Single row of prominent spines on tail .................
lateral sides. The dorsal fins are on the posterior end of .......................................................... F. rnamnzi/lideizs
the tail, the first dorsal fin is smaller, the base of which
equals in distance the interdorsal space. 5 thorns in the More than one row of prominent spines on tail .........
interdorsal space. Caudal fin rudimentary. Ventral base of ..................................................................... A. reversa
tail smooth. Ventral surface of the body has prickles on
3. A single row of spines on tail; second dorsal fin
the snout, front margin of the disc, internasal region and
situated away from the tip of the caudal fin by a distance
tail.
equal to base of both the dorsals .... D. johannis-davisi
Colortr: Dorsal surface is greyish on the central part
and the tail, and dark black at the outer edges. Ventral More than one row of ipines on tail; second dorsal fin
surface is grey in colour. situated nearer tip of caudal fin by a distance equal to or
less than the base of the first dorsal fin .....................4
4. Prominent rostral spine; no ocellus on dorsal surface
................................................................
C. ar~darnanica
No prominent rostral spine; ocellus may be present or
absent ............................................................................
5.
5. Interdorsal space equal to or lesser than base of first
dorsal; no ocellus; dorsal surface of disc with a series
of white spots .....................................................R. alba
Interdorsal space longer than base of first dorsal fin;
ocellus present; no white spots on disc as above ..... 6
6. Ocellus present on the posterior median base of pec-
,' toral fin ..........................................................0. powelli
Hntp I
Ocellus present on the middle region of pectoral fin ...
Fig. I . Rosrroraja alba .................................................................. R . nliraletfrs

Jourrral of 11rr Marine Biological Association of India (2006)

 First record of spearnose skate 117

Table 1. Morphometric measurements of Rostroraja alba also due to Mrs. P.K Seetha, Technical Assistant, for the
(Lucepede, 1803) (as % of total length) help rendered in the collection of the specimen.
References
Characters India South
Present Africa Clark, Robert S. 1926. Scient. Invest. Fisllery Bd. Scotl.,
study Wallace, ( I ) : 47 - 49.
(1967) Day, F. 1889. The Fishes qf India, being a natural history
of the fishes known to inhabit tile seas and .fi-r.sI~warer.s
Total length 100 100 of India, Burnza and Ceylon. Fisher Francis and Tay-
Length of disc 56.9 53.1 lor, London.

Snout to greatest width of disc 36.0 31.8 Fowler, Henry W.1941. Bu11.100 U.S nut. Mus., 13: 332-
449.
Snout to origin of first dorsal 84.5 82.6 Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Editors. 2000. FishBase 2000:
Snout to origin of second dorsal 91.2 90.1 344 p.

Snout to anterior end of orbit 20.0 15.7 Gravendeel Ronald, Wimvan Neer and Dick
Brinkhuizen.2002. Int. J. Osteoarchaeol., 12: 420 -
Disc width 79.5 77.7 441.

First dorsal base Hulley, P.A. 1986. Family Rajidae. pp: 115-128. In: Smith
Margaret, M and Phillip C. Heemstra (Eds.) Smith's
interspace between dorsal bases Sea Fishes. Springer -Verlag.
Second dorsal base Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae, Ed X: I -ii+ 1 - 824.

Interorbital Misra, K.S.1952. An aid to the identification of ,fishes o f

- India, Burnla and Ceylon I . Ela.smobranckii and
Distance between spiracles Holocephali. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta.
Snout to tip of lower jaw Misra, K.S. 1969. Fauna q f India and the adjacent coun-
tries. Pisces Vol. I. Elasmobranchii and Holocepl~ali,
Snout to anterior end of cloaca (2"" Edn.) Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta.
Width of mouth Munroe, I.S.R. 1951. The nlarine and ,freshwater ,fi.sltes of
Ceylon. Dept. of External Affairs, Canberra, Fish.
Between inner ends of 1" pair of Ceylon, p i - xvi + 1 - 351pp.
gill slits
Norman, J.R. 1935. ~ o a s fishes.
i Part 1, The South Atlantic
Between inner ends of 5 Ih "Discovery Rep.," 12: 37 - 46.
pair of gill slits
- -
Stehmann, M. 1976. Beaufortia, 24: 133 - 17.5.

Acknowledgements Tortonese, Enrico. 1956. Faunad'Italia. Vol 11. Leptocardia,

Ceclostomata, Selachii, Bologna, Officine Grafiche
The author wishes to place on record her sincere Colderini: 253 -257.
gratitude to Prof. (Dr.) Mohan Joseph Modayil, Director, Van Bruggen, A.C. 1965. Zool. Gart. Lpz., 31 (.7/4): 190
CMFRI for his constant encouragement, guidance and -191
support; to Head, Demersal Fisheries Division, for the
facilities provided and to Shri S.G Raje, Scientist (S.G) Wallace, J.H. 1967. Mar. Biol. Rrs. Inst. Inve.st. Rep. No.
17: 1 - 62.
for critically going through the manuscript. Thanks are
Accepted : 30 May 2006

Jortrnal of rlrc, Marlne Biological A\\ociation o f India (2006)

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