Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) >
Rajiformes (Skates and rays) >
Rajidae (Skates)
Etymology: Dipturus: Greek, di = two + Greek, pteryx = fin (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Harvey Raymond Bullis Jr (1924–1992) was an American malacologist who was head of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Exploratory Base at Pascagoula, Mississippi and Chief, Gulf Fisheries Exploration & Gear Research, US Fish and Wildlife Service. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 200 - 600 m (Ref. 5217). Deep-water; 7°N - 30°N, 97°W - 49°W (Ref. 114953)
Western Central Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico to northern Brazil, including Caribbean islands (Ref. 114953).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 48.0 cm WD male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); common length : 35.0 cm WD male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217)
Found on outer continental shelf and upper slope. Reaches at least 77 cm TL. Males mature by ca. 76 cm TL; birth size at ca. 16 cm TL (Ref. 114953). Oviparous (Ref. 50449). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205).
McEachran, J.D. and K.A. Dunn, 1998. Phylogenetic analysis of skates, a morphologically conservative clade of elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia 1998(2):271-290. (Ref. 27314)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: bycatch
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