Rajella dissimilis
Taxonomy [top]
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | CHONDRICHTHYES | RAJIFORMES | RAJIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Rajella dissimilis | |||
| Species Authority: | (Hulley, 1970) | |||
Common Name/s:
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| Taxonomic Notes: | Synonym = Raja (Rajella) dissimilis Hulley, 1970 | |||
Assessment Information [top]
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Least Concern ver 3.1 |
| Year Published: | 2004 |
| Assessor/s: | Smale, M.J. (SSG Subequatorial Africa Regional Workshop, September 2003) |
| Reviewer/s: | Cavanagh, R.D., Kyne, P.M. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority) |
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Justification: An apparently uncommon or rare little-known endemic skate (southern Namibia to Cape Point, South Africa). However, its known range (400 to 500 m, some records >700 m) includes depths below those of current commercial trawl fisheries, hence it is assessed as Least Concern. It is likely to be more common in areas deeper than those sampled to date, however, the situation should be monitored given its apparent limited range and the potential threat of expanding deepwater trawl fisheries in the region. |
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Geographic Range [top]
| Range Description: | Southeast Atlantic: Southwest of Walvis Bay and off Lüderitz, Namibia and from the Orange River to southwest of Cape Point, South Africa (Compagno et al. 1991). |
| Countries: |
Native:
Namibia; South Africa
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| FAO Marine Fishing Areas: |
Native:
Atlantic – southeast
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| Range Map: | Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population [top]
| Population: | An uncommon to rare skate, at least at the depths sampled to date. |
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
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Habitat and Ecology [top]
| Habitat and Ecology: |
A poorly known species of the continental slope. Smaller specimens appear to be found in waters of 400 to 500 m while larger specimens were from deeper than 700 m (Compagno et al. 1991). Maximum size: attains about 64 cm total length (TL), 39 cm disc width (DW) (Hulley 1988). |
| Systems: | Marine |
Threats [top]
| Major Threat(s): | Expansion of commercial trawling into deeper waters. |
Conservation Actions [top]
| Conservation Actions: | Recommended conservation measures include studies on catch rates and life history characteristics. |
Bibliography [top]
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Compagno, L.J.V., Ebert, D.A. and Cowley, P.D. 1991. Distribution of offshore demersal cartilaginous fishes (Class Chondrichthyes) of the west coast of southern Africa, with notes on their systematics. South African Journal of Marine Science 11:43-139. Hulley, P.A. 1988. Family No. 25 Rajidae. In: Smiths? Sea Fishes 1st edition. Southern Book Publishers, Johannesburg. IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004. IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/. |
| Citation: | Smale, M.J. 2004. Rajella dissimilis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2012. |
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