Rajella eisenhardti

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	RAJIFORMES	RAJIDAE

Scientific Name:

Rajella eisenhardti

Species Authority:

Long & McCosker, 1999

Common Name/s:

English

–

Galapagos Gray Skate

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Data Deficient ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2007
Assessor/s:	McCormack, C. & Kyne, P.M.
Reviewer/s:	Valenti, S.V., Gibson, C.G. & Fowler, S.L.
Justification: A deepwater skate known only from the holotype and paratype (both immature males) caught at 757 and 907 m during investigations using a manned submersible off the Galapagos Islands in the Southeast Pacific. Fishing activities around the Galapagos Archipelago are mostly limited to the coastal zone (although pelagic longlining also occurs). The habitat of this species (steep rocky volcanic slopes) is unsuitable for trawling, and demersal deepwater fisheries are not presently operating within its range. There is insufficient data to assess this species beyond Data Deficient at the present time. Further sampling would help to better define the distribution and occurrence of the species, which is likely endemic to the Archipelago.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Likely endemic to the Galapagos Islands in the Southeast Pacific where it has been documented from two sites as per the original species description (Long and McCosker 1999): off Cabo Rosa (01°04.74?S, 91°11.08?W), Isla Isabella and off James Bay (00°26.46?S, 90°19.04?W), Isla San Salvador, Santiago Island.
Countries:	Native: Ecuador (Galápagos)
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Pacific – southeast
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Known only from two records as per the original species description (Long and McCosker 1999).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Recorded from steep slopes around the Galapagos Islands at depths of 757 and 907 m (Long and McCosker 1999). The holotype and largest known specimen was an immature male measuring 38.5 cm TL (Long and McCosker 1999). Like other skates is oviparous but nothing else is known of the species? biology.
Systems:	Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Fishing activities around the Galapagos Archipelago are mostly limited to the coastal zone, although pelagic longlining also occurs. The habitat of this species (steep rocky volcanic slopes) is unsuitable for trawling, and demersal deepwater fisheries are not presently operating within its range.

Major Threat(s):

Fishing activities around the Galapagos Archipelago are mostly limited to the coastal zone, although pelagic longlining also occurs. The habitat of this species (steep rocky volcanic slopes) is unsuitable for trawling, and demersal deepwater fisheries are not presently operating within its range.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The Galapagos Archipelago is covered by the Galapagos Marine Reserve which includes protected areas. However, both the enforcement of regulations and the prosecution of illegal fishers are often lacking. The species was discovered during surveys using manned submersibles (Long and McCosker 1999) as its habitat is unsuitable for more traditional sampling methods (i.e., trawling). Further sampling would help to better define the distribution and occurrence of the species, which given the isolation of the Galapagos Islands, is likely endemic to the Archipelago.

Conservation Actions:

The Galapagos Archipelago is covered by the Galapagos Marine Reserve which includes protected areas. However, both the enforcement of regulations and the prosecution of illegal fishers are often lacking.

The species was discovered during surveys using manned submersibles (Long and McCosker 1999) as its habitat is unsuitable for more traditional sampling methods (i.e., trawling). Further sampling would help to better define the distribution and occurrence of the species, which given the isolation of the Galapagos Islands, is likely endemic to the Archipelago.

Bibliography [top]

	IUCN. 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 12th September 2007). IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/. Long, D.J. and McCosker, J.E. 1999. A new species of deep-water skate, Rajella eisenhardti, (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae) from the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 112(1): 45-51.

IUCN. 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 12th September 2007).

IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/.

Long, D.J. and McCosker, J.E. 1999. A new species of deep-water skate, Rajella eisenhardti, (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae) from the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 112(1): 45-51.

Citation:	McCormack, C. & Kyne, P.M. 2007. Rajella eisenhardti. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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