Australian Ocellate Skate, Dentiraja oculus (Last 2008)
Other Names: Ocellate Skate
Dipturus oculus. Source: CSIRO National Fish Collection. License: CC BY Attribution
Summary:
A brownish or greyish skate with a large dark ocellus on each pectoral fin, a greyish or brown underside becoming paler at the disc margin, and greyish or black sensory pores on the underside without surrounding dusky blotches.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2023, Dentiraja oculus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 23 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2654
Australian Ocellate Skate, Dentiraja oculus (Last 2008)
More Info
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Distribution |
South Western Australia, from off Bunbury to off Shark Bay. Mostly found near the continental shelf break and on the upper continental slope. |
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Features |
Trunk centra 27–31; predorsal centra 69–85; total centra about 113–127. Disc narrow with rounded apices, width 71–74% TL, about 1.2 times its length; snout angle 90–96°; tail short, length 0.7–0.8 in distance from snout tip to rear of cloaca; tail relatively broad, width 1.7–2.3 times height at its midlength, 1.9–2.2 times at first dorsal-fin origin; preupper jaw length 17–19% TL, 1.7–2.1 times internasal width; ventral head length 32–34% TL; snout length 3.4–3.6 times interorbital width; orbit diameter 68–82% interorbital width. First dorsal-fin height 1.6–1.8 in its base length; distance from first dorsal-fin origin to tail tip 2.4–3.1 times first dorsal-fin base length, 1.8–2.5 times caudal-fin length; pelvic fins of medium size, length of posterior lobe of adolescent males about 17% TL, length of anterior lobe 69–75% of posterior lobe; clasper of late adolescent male short, about 15% TL. Anterior margins of both surfaces of head with narrow bands of denticles; a single nuchal thorn; malar thorn patch probably present in adult males (early stages of development in midadolescent male); tail thorn in single staggered row in males, two additional pairs of lateral rows in females; total pectoral radials 80–89; tooth rows in upper jaw 34–40. |
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Etymology |
The specific name is from the Latin oculus (= eye), in reference to the eye-like marking on each pectoral fin. |
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Species Citation |
Dipturus oculus Last 2008 in Last, White, Pogonoski & Gledhill (eds), CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper No. 021: 90. Type locality: West of Bunbury, Western Australia, 33°22'S, 114°31'E, depth 203-204 m. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2023 |
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Resources |
Australian Ocellate Skate, Dentiraja oculus (Last 2008)
References
James, K.C., Kyne, P.M. & Ebert, D.A. 2015. Dipturus oculus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T195451A68621509. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T195451A68621509.en. Accessed on 27 September 2023.
Last, P.R. 2008. New short-snout members of the skate genus Dipturus (Rajoidei: Rajidae) from Australian seas. pp. 9-52 in Last, P.R., White, W.T., Pogonoski, J.J. & Gledhill, D.C. (eds). Description of new Australian skates (Batoidea: Rajoidei). CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper No. 021: 1-181 http://hdl.handle.net/102.100.100/118405?index=1
Last, P.R., Séret, B., Stehmann, M.F.W. & Weigmann, S. 2016. 19. Skates. Family Rajidae. pp. 204-363 in Last, P.R., White, W.T., Carvalho, M.R. de, Séret, B., Stehmann, M.F.W. & Naylor, G.J.P. (eds). Rays of the World. Clayton South, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 790 pp. (as Dentiraja oculata)
Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Canberra : CSIRO Australia 513 pp. 84 pls. (as Raja sp. E)
Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Australia 2, 550 pp. (as Dipturus oculatus)
Last, P.R., Weigmann, S. & Yang, L. 2016. Changes to the nomenclature of the skates (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes). Rays of the World: Supplementary Information. CSIRO Special Publication. pp. 11-34 (as Dentiraja oculata)
