Aquascope

Facts

Egg capsule from a skate

Mermaids purse

Distribution
Distribution in scandinavian waters

Maximum length: 9 cm without the corner spines. The egg capsule from a skate can be as long as 25 cm.
Appearance: The black horn shell egg capsule is rectangular in shape and more or less covered with tangled fibres. The four corners are drawn out in pointed spines. Egg capsules that get washed up are always empty, and usually open along one of the short sides.
Depth: In the seas around Sweden the skate can live as deep as 1000 m. Their egg capsules are usually found washed up onto the beach.
Misc: Even the lesser spotted dogfish lays egg capsules. The small spotted dogfish´s egg capsules that get washed up onto the beaches of the Skagerrak and Kattegat, are brown, 2 cm wide and 6 cm long.
Classification: Rays and skates belong to the cartilaginous fish group, which is part of the vertebrate group.


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© Aquascope 2000   Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory, Strömstad, Sweden
Bo Johannesson | Martin Larsvik | Lars-Ove Loo | Helena Samuelsson