Wild Wednesday - Undulate Ray
The Undulate Ray is one of the lesser-known species found in Sussex waters.
Sadly, it is a globally endangered species and is a priority protected species in the UK, the reasons being, overfishing and habitat loss.
Such an exotic looking species may not be what you’d expect to find in our waters, but we are lucky here in Sussex to have a healthy population of undulate rays, which has been thriving over the last ten years - possibly due to our fishing restrictions.
The undulate ray is a medium sized skate (despite being called a ray, they are a species of skate) that grows to a maximum length of 100cm and a weight of 10kg . Although it prefers shallower depths, it can be found as deep as 200 metres (660 ft) in areas with mud or sand.
Their brown spotted markings help them to camouflage against the seafloor, often burying themselves beneath the sand or mud.
The species lives for up to 20 years and is not sexually mature until it is 9 years old, with its eggs laid from March to September. The difference between rays and skates lies in their reproductive methods: rays produce live offspring, while skates, including the undulate ray, lay eggs. Once hatched, these egg cases, also known as mermaid’s purses, often wash up onshore.
Rays and skates have strong jaws with flat teeth able to crack open the shells of their favourite prey, molluscs and crustaceans. They also eat small fish. If while foraging for food they need to make a speedy getaway from a predator, some rays have stings in their tails called barbs, which they use to protect themselves.
Read more here: Undulate ray | The Wildlife Trusts
Photo credit: Matt Doggett Matt Doggett Photography – Nature – Photography – Stories