bat eagle ray
Myliobatis californica
Skate of bays and shallow bottoms of the eastern Pacific, from Oregon to the Gulf of California. It has a venomous tail spine and is of interest to recreational fishing.
Also called: raia-morcego, raya murciélago, raya gavilán, bat eagle ray
- maximum
- 180 cm
- record/max.
- 82.1 kg
- depth
- 0–108 m
who is the bat eagle ray
The bat ray is a ray of the family Myliobatidae, with a broad disc and a long, thin tail. It reaches 180 cm in disc width and weighs up to 82.1 kg, and its common size is 100 cm. It lives in sandy and muddy bays, on rocky bottoms and in kelp forests, and sometimes buries itself in sand. It feeds on bivalves, snails, polychaetes, shrimp and crabs. It is ovoviviparous, and the embryos get extra nutrition from the mother through the uterine fluid. It turns up as bycatch and is of interest to recreational fishing. It has a venomous tail spine.
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 bat eagle ray.
identification
Broad, flattened disc with a long, thin tail that carries a venomous spine. The Spanish name, raya murciélago (bat ray), refers to the broad disc, which looks like a bat. It lives alone or in groups, sometimes buried in sand. It reaches 180 cm in disc width, but 100 cm is the common size.
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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
Eastern Pacific, from Oregon (USA) to the Gulf of California in Mexico, and to the Galápagos. In Latin America it occurs in Mexico. It does not occur in Brazil.
Habitat: Sandy and muddy bays, coves, rocky bottoms and kelp forests, down to 108 meters.
rules for the bat eagle ray
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.
It has a venomous tail spine: hold it by the disc, avoid the tail and, if you are stung, seek medical care.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00389, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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: Myliobatis californica (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Myliobatis californicaNames by country and language.