Golden Skate

This species is distinguished by the following characters: no blotches on the dorsal disc surface or a pair of white or dark blotches; dark blotch and band usually absent on the ventral disc surface; predorsal caudal vertebrae 80-87 (Ref. 123274).. Geographical variations are present in the populations of the seas of Japan and Okhotsk: number of total tail thorns, ranging from 21-33 (average and standard deviation: 27.3±2.9) (southern Sea of Japan) vs.19-29 (26.0 ± 2.3) (northern Sea of Japan), vs. 22-27 (24.3 ± 1.5) (Sea of Okhotsk) (P < 0.05) and the frequency distribution of tail thorn numbers was bimodal in the Sea of Japan [modes: 25 and 28,29 (southern); 25,26 and 28 (northern)], but unimodal in the Sea of Okhotsk (mode: 25) (Ref. 123274).

Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449). Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother (Ref. 205). Eggs have horn-like projections on the shell (Ref. 205).

Oviparous. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother (Ref. 205). Eggs are oblong capsules with stiff pointed horns at the corners deposited in sandy or muddy flats (Ref. 205). Egg capsules are 12.4-15.0 cm long and 8.7-9.0 cm wide (Ref. 41249, 41253). Depth range given by H. Ishihara (pers.comm. 07/07). Reported to feed primarily on amphipods, decapods, fishes, euphausids, and squid on Yamato Bank in the Sea of Japan. Maximum length reported 116 cm TL (Ref, 89865).