Common names
Kuckucksrochen, Raia santiaguesa, Raya de San Pedro, Raya santiaguesa, Raya santiguesa, Raie fleurie, Butterfly skate, Cuckoo ray, Cuckoo skate, Sandy ray, Pichira rutunnula, Razza cuculo, Razza fiorita, Raia-de-dois-olhos

Short Description
Snout short; upper surface entirely spinulose, but centre of pectoral fins more or less bare in adults, underside smooth except for prickly front edges; generally 9-13 thorns in a complete row around inner margin of eye, and a large triangle of thorns on nape or shoulder region; two parallel rows of strong thorns on each side of midline along tail; upper surface ochre to light greyish-brown with a large roundish black eye-spot in middle of each pectoral fin, underside white [7182]

Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Kattegat [7182] and North Sea, around Great Britain, Ireland and the Mediterranean to Morocco and Senegal. Source: www.gbif.org

Human uses
fisheries: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums

Biology
Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk [733]. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother [17086]. Reproductive biology: Portuguese continental waters (data base: 856 specimens, 501 females, 355 males): No difference in size at maturity was detected between sexes, which was estimated as 56 cm total length. Spawning occurs all year round, but maximum activity was during winter months. Maximum fecundity is c. 63 eggs female−1 year−1. Encapsulated eggs are released in batches, nine in total with a mean number of seven extruded eggs in each batch [17307];

Size / Weight / Age
71.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 41333)); 68 cm TL (female)

Habitat
demersal; marine; depth range 20 - 500 m, usually 20 - 250 m [5130]

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=3495;

Parasites (arranged by Jürgen Pollerspöck)
Monogenea

• Acanthocotyle lobianchi Monticelli, 1888 [15273] [15267]
• Calicotyle kroyeri Diesing, 1850 [17150] [15273] [15268] [7377]
• Dictyocotyle coeliaca Nybelin, 1941 [15076] [23943] [15251] [15273]
• Empruthotrema raiae (Maccallum, 1916) Johnston & Tiegs, 1922 [15273] [17002]
• Rajonchocotyle emarginata (Olsson, 1876) [15273] [15243] [17450] [33185]
• Rajonchocotyle miraletus Rees & Llewellyn, 1941 [17150]

Cestoda

• Acanthobothrium quadripartitum Williams, 1968 [16954] [16448] [16957] [23995] [16910] [15084] [28741]
• Echeneibothrium sp. [15084] [33185]
• Echinobothrium harfordi Mcvicar, 1976 [15084] [16430] [19536]
• Echinobothrium sp. [17100] [16910]
• Grillotia erinaceus (Van Beneden, 1858) [16112] [15084] [7411] [33185]
• Rockacestus piriei (Williams, 1968) [16956] [16910] [15084]

Nematoda

• Anisakis simplex (Rudolphi, 1809) [33185]
• Capillaria sp. [17100]
• Pancreatonema torriensis Mcvicar & Gibson, 1975 [23993]
• Phocanema sp. [33185]

Copepoda

• Caligus curtus Müller, 1785 [16598]
• Caligus elongatus Von Nordmann, 1832 [16598]
• Eudactylina similis Scott, 1902 [16598]
• Lernaeopodina longimana (Olsson, 1869) [16598]
• Taeniacanthus sp. [16598]