Common names
Dornrochen, Keulen-Stachel, Keulenrochen, Keulenstachel, Nagelrochen, Rochen, Stachelrochen, Steinrochen, Arraizabala, Bastina rajada, Bramante, Clavel, Gastaka, Pez de mahoma, Raia de clavos, Rajada, Rajada vera, Raya común, Raya crabuda, Raya de clavos, Raya punjosa, Romaguera, Clavelade, Raie bouclée, Raie bouclée clovée, Raiton, Réagris, Zerra bouké, Maiden ray, Rocker, Roker, Skate, Thornback, Thornback maid ray, Thornback ray, Thornback rough ray, Thornback skate, Thorny, Arzilla di scoglio, Arzilla pietrosa, Baracola, Baracoleta, Perdosa, Picara pitrusa, Picareia, Pichira pitrusa, Raggia, Ragia pitrusa, Raia petrosa, Raja petrusa, Raja pitrusa, Rasa, Rasa spinosa, Rasca petrusa, Rascia petroèse, Raza, Raza pietrosa, Razza, Razza chiodata, Razza di scoglio, Razza spinusa, Scardano, Scritta perdosa, Arraia, Lenga, Raia, Raia lenga, Raia-brocheada, Raia-lenga, Raia-pinta

Short Description
Upper surfaces wholly prickly, underside wholly prickly in large females, only snout and margins of disc in young and large males; orbital thorns separate, 30-50 in median row from nape to first dorsal fin; additional large "quot;buckler"quot; thorns with swollen bases scattered on upper surface of disc in adults [7182]. Sub rhomboid disc, disc-width 1,25 to 1,36 times in its length, its length 1,70 to 1,83 times in total length; short rostrum, rounded at his extremity; pectoral fins with clear angles on lateral side; triangular pelvic fins (Ref. 39246). Upper surface very variable, all shades of brown, variegated with dark and light spots and blotches, underside white [7182].

Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Iceland, Norway, North Sea and the western Baltic southward to Morocco and Namibia, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Although reported from southern Africa, its status in the area is uncertain [536]. Source: www.gbif.org

Human uses
fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

Biology
Oviparous, paired eggs are laid. Embryos feed solely on yolk [733]. About 150 egg-cases are laid in a year, in spring (northwestern Europe) or winter and spring (Mediterranean) [7182]. Distinct pairing with embrace. Young may tend to follow large objects, such as their mother [17086]. Inhabit shelf and upper slope waters from the coastal line to about 300 m. Depth range from 20-300 m [7180], and from 300-577 m in the eastern Ionian Sea [17735]. Found on sand and sand-rock bottoms [17687]. Feed on all kinds of bottom animals, preferably crustaceans [7182]. Diet and feeding strategy from the eastern-central Adriatic Sea (data from 428 specimens, 140 mm -751 mm TL): stomachs contents belong to eight major groups: Cephalopoda, Polychaeta, Stomatopoda, Decapoda (Natantia and Reptantia), Mysidacea, Isopoda, Amphipoda and Teleostei. Decapods were the most important prey (index of relative important, %IRI,= 72•8) followed by teleosts (%IRI = 20•4). Small-sized individuals (<25 cm LT) fed primarily on small crustaceans (mysids and amphipods), whereas large-sized specimens consumed larger prey, such as decapods, cephalopods and teleosts [16596].

Size / Weight / Age
105 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 6014)); 120 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 18.0 kg [20241]; max. reported age: 12 years (Ref. 72473)

Habitat
demersal; marine; depth range 20 - 577 m [17735]

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=5577;

Parasites (arranged by Jürgen Pollerspöck)

• Scopelocheirus hopei (Costa in Hope, 1851) [31787]

Ciliophora

• Trichodina gobii Raabe, 1959 [22626]

Conoidasida

• Eimeria ottojiroveci Dyková & Lom, 1983 [32027]

Myxosporea

• Ceratomyxa agilis Thélohan, 1892 [22626]
• Chloromyxum leydigi Mingazzini, 1890 [22626]
• Chloromyxum partistriatus Kovaljova, Donetz & Kolesnikova, 1989 [22626] [28406]
• Chloromyxum psetti Kovaljova, Donetz & Kolesnikova, 1989 [22626]

Monogenea

• Acanthocotyle elegans Monticelli, 1890 [17150] [15273]
• Acanthocotyle greeni Macdonald & Llewellyn, 1980 [15273]
• Acanthocotyle lobianchi Monticelli, 1888 [17150] [15270] [15282] [15273] [15267]
• Acanthocotyle monticellii Scott, 1902 [17150]
• Acanthocotyle oligoterus (Monticelli, 1899) [17150]
• Acanthocotyle sp. [19885] [15246]
• Calicotyle kroyeri Diesing, 1850 [17150] [23994] [15273] [15268] [7377] [22626] [31118]
• Dictyocotyle coeliaca Nybelin, 1941 [23943]
• Empruthotrema raiae (Maccallum, 1916) Johnston & Tiegs, 1922 [15273] [17002] [31118]
• Hexabothrium appendiculatum (Kuhn, 1829) [19885]
• Leptocotyle minor (Monticelli, 1888) [9347]
• Rajonchocotyle batis Cerfontaine, 1899 [17150]
• Rajonchocotyle clavata Bracey in Sproston, 1946 [17150]
• Rajonchocotyle emarginata (Olsson, 1876) [22616] [17150] [15273] [15243] [17450] [9347] [22565]
• Rajonchocotyle sp. [31118]

Cestoda

• Acanthobothrium benedeni (Lönnberg, 1889) [16247] [16175] [16448] [28741]
• Acanthobothrium coronatum (Rudolphi, 1819) Van Beneden, 1850 [16346] [16448]
• Acanthobothrium crassicolle Wedl, 1855 [16175]
• Acanthobothrium dujardinii Van Beneden, 1849 [16346] [16247] [16175] [16448] [16448] [28741]
• Acanthobothrium filicolle (Zschokke, 1887) [16448]
• Acanthobothrium paulum Linton, 1890 [16448]
• Acanthobothrium ponticum Borcea, 1934 [16346] [16448] [28741]
• Acanthobothrium septentrionale Baer & Euzet, 1962 [16175]
• Acanthobothrium sp. [16448]
• Echeneibothrium sp. [33185]
• Echeneibothrium tumidulum (Rudolphi, 1819) [19885]
• Echeneibothrium variabile Van Beneden, 1850 [16346]
• Echinobothrium affine Diesing, 1863 [16430] [16430]
• Echinobothrium brachysoma Pintner, 1889 [16430] [19536]
• Echinobothrium clavatum Probert & Stobart, 1989 [16378] [16430] [19536]
• Echinobothrium harfordi Mcvicar, 1976 [16358] [16430] [19536]
• Echinobothrium typus Van Beneden, 1849 [16346] [16430] [19536] [22981]
• Gilquinia squali (Fabricius, 1794) [16112]
• Grillotia (Christianella) minuta (Van Beneden, 1849) [16112]
• Grillotia erinaceus (Van Beneden, 1858) [19885] [16303] [16112] [7411]
• Gyrodactylus alviga Gaevskaya & Dmitrieva, 1967 [22626]
• Hepatoxylon megacephalum (Rudolphi, 1819) [16112]
• Nybelinia lingualis (Cuvier, 1817) [16112]
• Onchobothrium pseudouncinatum De Beauchamp, 1905 [17089] [16101]
• Phyllobothrium lactuca Van Beneden, 1850 [16443]
• Phyllobothrium sp. [16443]
• Phyllobothrium thridax (Van Beneden, 1849) [16443]
• Tetrarhynchobothrium tenuicolle Diesing, 1854 [16112] [7412]
• Tritaphros retzii Lönnberg, 1889 [33185]

Trematoda

• Otodistomum veliporum (Creplin, 1837) Stafford, 1904 [22616]
• Stichocotyle nephropis Cunningham, 1887 [25979]

Nematoda

• Anisakis simplex (Rudolphi, 1809) [33185]
• Ascaris succisa Rudolphi, 1819 [17029]
• Hysterothylacium aduncum (Rudolphi, 1802) [22626]
• Metanisakis baylisi (Gibson, 1973) [17029]
• Metanisakis tricupola (Gibson, 1973) [22626]
• Proleptus acutus Dujardin, 1845 [31368]
• Proleptus obtusus Dujardin, 1845 [9347]
• Proleptus robustus (Van Beneden, 1871) [19885] [22626]
• Proleptus sp. [33185]

Copepoda

• Caligus elongatus Von Nordmann, 1832 [16598] [9347]
• Caligus sp. [27471]
• Charopinus dalmanni (Retzius, 1829) [16609] [22626]
• Charopinus dubius Scott, 1900 [16609]
• Lepeophtheirus europaensis Zeddam, Berrebi, Renaud, Raibaut & Gabrion, 1988 [22626]
• Lepeophtheirus pectoralis (Müller, 1776) [16598] [22626]
• Lernaeopoda galei Krøyer, 1837 [27471]
• Schistobrachia ramosa (Krøyer, 1863) [16598] [22626]
• Trebius caudatus Krøyer, 1838 [23942] [16609]

Isopoda

• Aega rosacea (Risso, 1816) (nomen nudum) [23898]
• Anilocra physodes (Linnaeus, 1758) [23898]
• Livoneca sinuata Koelbel, 1878 [21431]
• Natatolana neglecta (Hansen, 1890) [29380] [31787]

Hirudinea

• Branchellion torpedinis Savigny, 1822 [25687] [17101]
• Pontobdella moorei Oka, 1910 [21638]
• Pontobdella muricata (Linnaeus, 1758) [21463] [22626] [20503] [24406]