Blonde ray

What it is

The blonde ray is a species of cartilaginous fish belonging to the skate family. Its body is flattened and kite-shaped, featuring broad pectoral fins that resemble wings. A distinguishing feature is its short tail, which gives the species its scientific name. The skin is brown with creamy-white blotches and dense dark spots that extend to the fin edges and tail. Adults can reach a maximum length of 120 centimetres, while newborns measure between 16 and 18 centimetres.

Where it lives

This species inhabits the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Scotland down to Morocco. It is also found occasionally in the Mediterranean Sea. The blonde ray prefers demersal environments with sandy or muddy seabeds. It typically lives at depths between 10 and 380 metres, though individuals have been recorded as deep as 900 metres. Shallow coastal waters serve as important nursery areas for juveniles.

How it lives

Juvenile and adult blonde rays feed on cephalopods, small bony fish, and crustaceans such as shrimp. They are demersal hunters that rest on the seabed. Genetic conditions like leucism and albinism occur in this population. Leucistic individuals appear white with black spots and tend to be smaller, while albino rays have a white dorsal side with few spots and altered eye colour. These genetic variations do not appear to cause increased physical damage or disease.

Breeding and life cycle

The blonde ray is oviparous, meaning females lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young. Embryos develop by feeding solely on yolk reserves. A single clutch contains between 40 and 140 eggs, and females tend to the eggs after laying them. Sexual maturity is reached at a length of 85 to 92 centimetres, which corresponds to an age of eight to ten years. The average lifespan is approximately 15 years.

Fish and people

Fishermen target the blonde ray for human consumption, particularly in the United Kingdom. It is also pursued as a sport fish, with a record weight of 17 kilograms caught in Cobh, Ireland. Skates are generally vulnerable to overfishing because they grow slowly, mature late, and produce few offspring. Their tendency to aggregate in shallow waters makes them easy to catch, often leading to juveniles being harvested before they can breed.

Status and threats

Human impact affects the blonde ray due to its presence in accessible shallow waters. Although aggregated landings of rays have remained relatively stable over the past six decades, the species remains susceptible to capture in many fisheries. The combination of large size, specific morphology, and aggregating behaviour increases their risk. Fishing pressure on juveniles before they reach breeding age poses a significant threat to population sustainability.

Questions people ask about Blonde ray

Good reading and sources

• Blonde ray on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data