Author: Delaroche, 1809

Raja (Raja) radula Delaroche, 1809

Diagnosis: snout short and obtuse. Upper surface covered with coarse spinules; underside in juveniles and adult males spinulose only on snout and on hind half of tail, large females also prickly around mouth, along
mid-body, and on front half of tail. Vague separate thorns present along inner margin of eye; an irregular row of numerous small thorns from nape to first dorsal fin, interrupted on body in large specimens; 2 thorns between dorsal fins. Colour: upper surface light greyish-brown, with pattern of scattered dark spots and lines, as well as light dots on disc; a constant large circular eye- spot, its dark centre encircled by a yellowish
ring and a broad outer dark ring with light dots, placed on either side of body at level of greatest width of disc; underside white, with pale grey margins to disc and several dark spots on tail. Size: to about 70 cm TL.

Habitat: benthic, from coastal waters to about 300 m; rather common, locally exploited. Food: all kinds of bottom animals. Reproduction: oviparous; throughout year, maximum number of egg-cases laid in late spring and summer, embryos developing in about 4 months; egg-cases 51-57 by 34-37 mm (excluding horns).

Distribution: Mediterranean, mainly in western part, apparently passing into Atlantic (off northern coasts of Morocco). Elsewhere, records from the Gulf of Guinea most probably misidentifications.

Note: Raja atra Muller & Henle, 1841 was based on two specimens, of which the larger is R. radula; the smaller is another species. Placed in the sub-genus Raja by Capape & Desoulter (1978).

Complementary iconography. Clark, 1931, in: Faune ichthyol. Atl. N., fiche 40 Bini, 1967: 153-154.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Superclass Gnathostomata
Class Chondrichthyes
Superorder Hypotremata
Family Rajidae
Genus Raja
Species Raja radula

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Raja radula Delaroche, 1809

Scientific synonyms and common names

Raja (Raja) radula Delaroche, 1809

Synonyms:

Raja radula Delaroche, 1809
Raja radula Delaroche, 1809, Annls. Mus. Hist. nat., Paris, 13: 321-322 (off Ibiza). Holotype: MNHN no. A 7512.
Raja radula: Risso, 1826: 151-152 Müller & Henle, 1841:133-134 Duméril, 1865: 534-535 Günther, 1870: 461 Moreau, 1881: 421-423 Doderlein, 1884 [1879-1891]: 208-210 Carus, 1893: 526 Griffini, 1903: 124 Clark, 1926: 18-19, pl. 5 (fig. a) Lozano Rey, 1928: 557-564, pl. 11 Dieuzeide et al., 1953: 82-84, fig. Tortonese, 1956: 240 242, fig. 133 Soljan, 1963: 82-88, fig. Capapé, 1974: 211, 8 fig. Capapé & Quignard, 1975a: 263-276.
Raja atra Müller & Henle, 1841, Syst. Beschr. Plag.: 134, pl. 46 (Sicily). Two syntypes: ZMHU no. 4603, MNHN no. 1588.
Raja atra: Duméril, 1865: 535-536 Günther, 1870: 461 Canestrini, 1872: 56 Doderlein, 1884: 210-211 Carus, 1893: 527.
Raja (Raja) atra Capape & Desoutter (1979)

Common names:

Rough ray [En]
Raie rape [Fr]
Raya aspera [Es]
Razza scuffina [It]

Bini, G. 1967-72. Atlante dei pesci delle Coste italiane. Mondo Sommerso, Milano, 9 vol: I, 1967, Leptocardi, Ciclostomi, Selaci, 206 p., 66 fig+64 col. fig. II, 1971, Osteitti (Acipenseriformi, Clupeiformi, Mictofiformi, Anguilliformi), 300 p., 73 col. fig. III, 1970, Notacantiformi . . . Zeiformi, 229 p., 34 fig+63 col. fig. IV, 1968, Perciformi (Mugiloidei, Percoidei), 163 p., 34 fig+49 col. fig. V, 1968, Perciformi (Percoidei), 175 p., 22 fig.+56 col. fig. VI, 1968, Perciformi (Trichiuroidei . . . Blennioidei), 177 p., 48 fig+57 col. fig. VII,1969, Perciformi (Ofidioidei . . . Dactilopteroidei), 196 p., 57 fig.+59 col. fig. VIII,1968, Pleuronettiformi, Echeniformi, Gobioesociformi, Tetraodontiformi, Lofiformi, 164 p., 34+63 fig. IX, 1972, Introduzione. Parte generale. Aggiornamenti. Indici. 176 p.

Canestrini, G.1871-72. Pesci d'Italia. Parte I, 1871, Pesci delle acque dolci: 436, 2 fig., Parte II, 1872, Pesci marini: 37-208. In: E. Cornalia, 1870-74, Fauna d'Italia, Milano, 3 :1-208.

Capapé, C. 1974. Contribution a la biologie des Rajidae des c6tes tunisiennes 11. Raja radula Delaroche. Arch. Inst. Pasteur. Tunis, 51: 211-228, 8 fig.

Capapé, C.; Desoutter, M. 1978. Méthode d'étude, description critique et comparée des ptérygopodes de Rajidae: Raja radula Delaroche, 1809. Bull. Off. natn. Pêch. Tunisie, 2 (1-2): pp. 79-88, fig. 1-6.

Capapé, C.; Desoutter, M.1979b. Note sur la validité de Raja atra Müller et Henlé, 1841. Cybium, 3 (5): 71-85, fig. 1-3.

Capapé, C; Quignard, J.P. 1975a. Essai d'evaluation de la fecondite chez les Selaciens ovipares: cas de Raja miraletus Linne, 1758 et de R. radula Delaroche, 1809 des cates tunisiennes. Arch. Inst. Pasteur Tunis, 52: 263-276.

Carus, J. V. 1893. Vertebrata. 1. class. Pisces: 498-711, In: Prodromus faunae Mediterraneae sive Descriptio Animalium Maris Mediterranei incolarum quam comparata silva rerum quatenus innotuit adiectis locis et nominibus vulgaribus. . . Stuttgart, 1899-93, 2: ix+854 p.

Clark, R. S.1926. Rays and Skates, a revision of the european species. Fisheries, Scotland, Scient. Invest., (1) :1-66, fig. 1-42, pl. 1-36.

Clark, R. S.1929-32. Selachii, Raiidae. In: L. Joubin, ed., Faune ichthyol. Atl. N., CIEM, Copenhagen: fiches 34bis-57.

Delaroche, F. E. 1809a. Observations sur des poissons recueillis dans un voyage aux îles Baléares et Pythiuses. Annls Mus. Hist. nat., Paris, 13: 98-122.

Dieuzeide, R.; Novella, M. (collab. J. Roland), 1953-55. Catalogue des Poissons des Côtes algériennes. Bull. Stn Aquic. Pêch. Castiglione, I (n.s.), (4), 1952 [1953]: 1-135, 73 fig. n. num.; II (n.s.), (5), 1953 [1954] :1-258, 135 fig. n. num.; III (n.s.), (6), 1954 [1955] :1-384, 202 fig. n. num.

Döderlein, P.1879-91. Manuale Ittiologico del Mediterraneo ossia senossi metodica delle varie specie di pesci riscontrate sin qui nel Mediterraneo ed in particolare nei mari di Sicilia. Palermo, 1879-91 (on title: '1879-80') 5 parts: I, 1879: viii+67 p.; II, 1881:1-120; III, 1884 :121-258; IV, 1889 :1-188; V, 1891:189-320.

Duméril, A. H. A.1865. Histoire naturelle des poissons ou ichthyologie générale, Paris, 2 vol., 1: 720 p., Atlas: 14 pl.

Griffini, A. 1903. Ittiologia italiana, Manuali Hoepli, Milano: xii+475 p., 244 fig.

Günther, A.1870. Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum. 8. Catalogue of the Physostomi containing the families Gymnotidae, Symbranchidae, Muraenidae, Pegasidae and of the Lophobranchii, Plectognathi, Dipnoi, Ganoidei, Chondropterygii, Cyclostomata, Leptocardii in the collection of the British Museum. London, xxv+549 p.

Lozano y Rey, L.1928. Fauna Ibérica. Pesces (Generalidades, Ciclóstomos y Elasmobranquios). Mus. Nac. Ciencias Nat., Madrid, 1:1-692,197 fig., 20 pl.

Moreau, E.1881-91. Histoire naturelle des poissons de la France, Paris, I, 1881: I-VII+ 1-480, fig. 1-82; II, 1881:1-572, fig. 83-145; III, 1881:1-697, fig. 146-220; Suppl., 1891: 1-144, fig. 221-227.

Müller, J.; Henle, J.1841. Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen. Berlin, xxii+204 p., 60 pl.

Risso, A.1826. Histoire naturelle des principales productions de l'Europe méridionale et particulièrement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes maritimes. Paris et Strasbourg, vol. III, XVI+486 p., 16 pl.

Soljan, T. 1963. Fishes of the Adriatic (Ribe Jadrana). Fauna et flora adriatica 1 (revised and enlarged for the English edition), 428 p., many unnumbered fig.

Tortonese, E. 1956b. Leptocardia, Ciclostomata, Selachii. Fauna Ital., 2: 334 p., 163 fig.

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