graytail skate
Bathyraja griseocauda
Deep-water skate of the Southwest Atlantic and the Southern Ocean, endangered. It does not occur in Brazil and turns up in commercial fishing.
Also called: raia-lixa-austral, raya austral lija, graytail skate, austral ray
- maximum
- 49 cm
- depth
- 94–585 m
who is the graytail skate
The austral lija skate is a skate of the family Arhynchobatidae, with a flattened body and a disc formed by the pectoral fins. It reaches 49 cm. It lives near the bottom in deep water, between 94 and 585 m, from Uruguay to Patagonia, in the Falklands and in the Southern Ocean, from the Scotia Arc to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. It is oviparous, and the egg cases have horn-like projections on the shell. It turns up in commercial fishing and is endangered. It does not occur in Brazil.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the graytail skate.
identification
Skate with a flattened body, broad disc and thin tail set apart from the disc, like the other skates of the family. The tail is greyish, and the Spanish name (austral lija) refers to its rough skin. It lives at much greater depths than the shelf skates of the same region, between 94 and 585 m, so you have to fish deep to find it.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Southeast Pacific and Southwest Atlantic, from Uruguay to Patagonian Argentina, including the Falklands and the Southern Ocean. It does not occur in Brazil.
Habitat: Sea floor, between 94 and 585 meters deep, from Uruguay to the Southern Ocean.
rules for the graytail skate
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Bottom skate, of large size: if it comes on the line, do not lift it out of the water; remove the hook with long-nose pliers or cut the line close and release it with minimal handling. Watch the spines on the back and tail.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00562, b = 3.13; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Bathyraja griseocauda (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Bathyraja griseocaudaNames by country and language.