Skate

Skate, common name applied to any member of a family of flat-bodied rays found in warm and temperate seas, including the coastal waters of the United States. The flesh of the European, or gray, skate, which attains a weight of 45 kg (100 lb), is extensively eaten in Europe; skate flesh is not common in the American diet. The smallest and commonest of the skates found along the eastern coast of North America is the little, or hedgehog, skate, which attains a length of less than 60 cm (less than 2 ft) and is densely spotted with black on its upper surface. The winter skate closely resembles the hedgehog skate but is somewhat larger and somewhat lighter in color. Another common skate of the American Atlantic coast is the smooth, or barn-door, skate, which attains a length of about 1 m (about 3.5 ft). The big skate, found off the coast of California, is the largest of the American skates, attaining a length of about 2 m (about 7 ft); the egg cases deposited by the female are almost 30 cm (almost 1 ft) long.

Scientific classification: Skates make up the family Rajidae of the order Rajiformes. The European, or gray, skate is classified as Raja batis, the little, or hedgehog, skate as Raja erinacea, the winter skate as Raja diaphanes, the smooth, or barn-door, skate as Raja laevis, and the big skate as Raja binoculata.