Small-eyed Ray
Raja microocellata
Ventral View (♀)
Dorsal View (♀)
APPEARANCE
Small-eyed Ray, Small-eyed Skate, Painted Ray, Sandy Ray, Owl Ray,
Painted Skate, Raie Melee (Fr), Raya Colorada (Es), Kleinoogrog (Ne).
• Maximum total length ~90cm.
• Conspicuously small eyes.
• Upper surface sandy in colour.
SYNONYMS
• Lighter streaks, spots and blotches in regular patterns.
Betaraia microcellata (Leigh-Sharpe, 1924).
• Lower surface white.
DISTRIBUTION
• Row of ~50 large thorns along midline to first dorsal fin.
Map base conforms with ICES grid squares.
Text & Illustrations © Shark Trust 2009
• Tail slightly shorter than body.
The Small-eyed Ray gets its name from its conspicuously small eyes,
surrounded by small orbital thorns. The upper surface of the disc is
predominantly spiny with the exception of the centre and rear third
of the pectoral fins which are smoother. Along the midline from the
head to the first dorsal fin there is a regular row of around 50 thorns.
These can become worn in older specimens. There are sometimes
thorns on the lower edges of the tail, particularly in older females. At
the end of the tail there are sometimes thorns between the dorsal
fins. The underside of small individuals is smooth but the centre and
head of the disc become rougher as the skate matures (Whitehead et
al., 1986).
The dorsal surface of the disc is sandy in colour with lighter,
almost white streaks which run parallel to the edges of the disc in a
regular pattern. These are complimented with blotches and spots of
the same colour. The edges of the pectoral fins in younger rays are
translucent. The ventral surface of the disc is white. The Small-eyed
Ray matures around 57-58cm in length and reaches a maximum size
of 90cm in length (Fowler et al., 2005).
NT
Found on
continental shelves
in the east Atlantic
from southwest
England and Ireland
to Gibraltar and
northern Morocco.
Not found in the
North Sea or the
Mediterranean Sea
(Gibson et al., 2006).
Small-eyed Rays are
only abundant in
a few sites such as
the Bristol Channel
in the UK and
Bertheaume Bay in
France (Ellis, 2000).
RJE
No Records
Occasional
Range
NE ATL
COMMON NAMES
Supported by:
Small-eyed Ray
SIMILAR SPECIES
Leucoraja circularis, Sandy Ray
Leucoraja fullonica, Shagreen Ray (Juv.) (not illustrated)
Leucoraja naevus, Cuckoo Ray
Raja brachyura, Blonde Ray
Raja microocellata,
Small-eyed Ray
Raja montagui, Spotted Ray
Raja undulata, Undulate Ray
Leucoraja circularis,
Sandy Ray
Leucoraja naevus,
Cuckoo Ray
Raja brachyura,
Blonde Ray
Raja montagui,
Spotted Ray
Raja undulata,
Undulate Ray
(Not to scale)
Text & Illustrations © Shark Trust 2009
Small-eyed Ray
Raja microocellata
TEETH
The teeth are arranged into 44–52
rows in the upper jaw. They are
obtuse, flat and close-set in females
and juveniles. The middle series are
sharper in males (Rousset, 1987).
ECOLOGY & BIOLOGY
HABITAT
The Small-eyed Ray inhabits inshore and coastal waters down to
about 100m (330ft) (Whitehead et al., 1986). It is found on soft
substrates favouring sandy bays and sand banks to which its
camouflage is perfectly suited (Kaiser et al., 2004).
DIET
Very little is known about the diet of the Small-eyed Ray, though it
most likely feeds on a variety of bottom dwelling invertebrates such
as crustaceans and teleost fish (Whitehead et al., 1986). Studies from
Bertheaume Bay, France have shown that it feeds almost exclusively
on fast, teleost fish such as sandeels, particularly Ammodytes
tobianus (Rousset, 1987). Ambush predators, once buried only their
eyes and spiracles are visible.
REPRODUCTION
In the English Channel at least, the Small-eyed Ray breeds during
the summer producing between 54 and 61 eggs a year. These
measure from 55-100mm in length (excluding horns) and from
35-63mm in width (Whitehead et al., 1986; Binohlan, 2009). The
embryos take about 7 months to develop and the newly hatched
young measure less than 13cm long (Fowler et al., 2005)
Text & Illustrations © Shark Trust 2009
EGGCASE
1. 55–100mm in length (excluding horns).
2. 35–63mm in width.
3. Long, filamentous horns (Shark Trust, 2008).
Similar eggcase to the Thornback Ray, Raja clavata.
Supported by:
Small-eyed Ray
COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE
IUCN RED LIST ASSESSMENT
The Small-eyed Ray is a minor component of commercial fisheries,
particularly in southern England from the Bristol Channel. They
are taken as bycatch in trawl and set-net fisheries throughout their
small range (Gibson et al., 2006).
THREATS, CONSERVATION, LEGISLATION
Given its small geographical distribution and localised abundance,
populations may be vulnerable to declines caused by over-fishing,
habitat degradation and other anthropogenic disturbance (Ellis, J;
2000).
All rajids are managed under a Total Allowable Catch (TAC)
system in EU waters. Between 1999 and 2005 the 6,060t TAC was
reduced by 47% and by a further ~50% from 2005 to 2008 (ICES,
2008). Originally the TAC applied only to areas IIa and IV, however in
January 2009 the TAC was extended to include ICES divisions IIa, IIIa,
IV, VIa-b, VIIa-k, VII and IX. The table below gives a summary of the
TAC’s for the years 2004 to 2009.
ICES
Division
2004
2005
2006
2007
2009
2009
IIa, IV
3,503
3,220
2,737
2,190
1,643
1,643
IIIa
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
68
VIa-b,
VIIa-c,
VIIe-k
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
15,748
VIId
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1,044
VIII, IX
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
(All figures are in tons. European Union, 2009)
6,423
Since 2008 European countries have been required to record
most skate and ray landings by species to give a clearer picture
of the status of populations in EU waters (ICES, 2008). Some Sea
Fisheries Committees (SFC) around the UK have byelaws which
stipulate a minimum disc width (DW) for landed skates and rays,
measured from the extreme tips of the pectoral fins. The SFC’s which
implement these and the details are shown in the table below.
SFC
DW (cm)
Other
Cumbria
45
Cannot land wings less than 22cm in
their maximum dimension
Kent & Essex
40
Cannot land wings less than 19cm in
their maximum dimension
Southern
40
Cannot land wings less than 20cm in
their maximum dimension
South Wales
45
Cannot land wings less than 22cm in
their maximum dimension
States of
Guernsey
36
(Cumbria SFC, Unknown; Kent & Essex SFC, Unknown; South Wales
SFC, Unknown; Southern SFC, 2006; NFFO, 2004)
However, such localised management strategies are unlikely to be
significant for the conservation of wider populations (Fowler et al.,
2005). Many recreational anglers return any sharks, skates and rays
they catch alive and some angling clubs have begun tag and release
programmes (Holt, 2005). As with most European skate and ray
species, there is very little effective management in place to protect
the Small-eyed Ray.
Text & Illustrations © Shark Trust 2009
Near Threatened (2000).
HANDLING AND THORN ARRANGEMENT
• Handle with care.
• Row of ~50 thorns on midline.
• Orbital thorns.
Small-eyed Ray
Raja microocellata
REFERENCES
BINOHLAN, C. B. 2009. Raja microocellata. Small-eyed Ray.
Fishbase. www.fishbase.org.
CUMBRIA SFC. Unknown. Minimum Fish Sizes. www.cumbriasfc.
org.uk.
ELLIS, J. 2000. Raja microocellata. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org.
EUROPEAN UNION. 2009. Council Regulation (EC) No. 43/2009.
Official Journal of the European Union, L22/1. www.mfa.gov.uk.
FOWLER, S. L., CAVANAGH, R. D., CAMHI, M., BURGESS, G. H.,
CAILIET, G. M., FORDHAM, S. V., SIMPFENDORFER, C. A., MUSICK,
J. A. 2005. Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras: The Status of the
Chondrichthyan Fishes. IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group.
GIBSON, C., VALENTI, S. V., FOWLER, S. L., FORDHAM, S. V. 2006. The
Conservation Status of Northeast Atlantic Chondrichthyans;
Report of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group Northeast Atlantic
Regional Red List Workshop. VIII + 76pp. IUCN SSC Shark
Specialist Group.
HOLT, D. 2005 Common Skate Tagging Programme. The Scottish
Angling Homepage: www.catchalot.co.uk.
ICES. 2008. Demersal elasmobranchs in the North Sea (Sub-area
IV), Skagerrak (Division IIIa), and eastern English Channel
(Division VIId). ICES advice 2008, Book 6.
KAISER, M. J., BERGMANN, M., HINZ, M., GALANIDI, M.,
SHUCKSMITH, R., REES, E. I. S., DARBYSHIRE, T., RAMSAY, K.
2004. Demersal Fish and Epifauna Associated with Sandbank
Habitats. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol. 60 (3),
445–456.
KENT & ESSEX SFC. Unknown. Minimum Fish Sizes. www.
kentandessex-sfc.co.uk.
NFFO. 2004. Official Yearbook and Diary. Grimsby, UK.
ROUSSET, J. 1987. Régime alimentaire de Raja microocellata,
Montagu, 1818 (Pisces, Rajidae) dans l’anse de Berheaume. Cah.
Biol. Mar. 28 (2): 199-206.
SOUTH WALES SFC. Unknown. Byelaws. www.swsfc.org.uk.
SOUTHERN SFC. 2006. Minimum Landings Sizes. www.southernsfc.
org.uk.
WHITEHEAD, P. J. P., BAUCHOT, M. L., HUREAU, J. C., NIELSEN, J.,
TORTONESE, E. (Eds.). 1986. Fishes of the Northeast Atlantic and
Mediterranean. UNESCO. Paris, France.
Text: Richard Hurst.
Illustrations: Marc Dando.
Citation
Shark Trust; 2009. An Illustrated Compendium of Sharks, Skates, Rays
and Chimaera. Chapter 1: The British Isles. Part 1: Skates and Rays.
Any ammendments or corrections, please contact:
The Shark Trust
4 Creykes Court, The Millfields
Plymouth, Devon PL1 3JB
Tel: 01752 672008/672020
Email: [email protected]
For more ID materials visit www.sharktrust.org/ID.
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Text & Illustrations © Shark Trust 2009