cuphead skate
Bathyraja scaphiops
Bottom-dwelling skate of the Southwest Atlantic, from Uruguay to Argentina and the Falklands. It does not occur in Brazil and turns up in commercial fishing.
Also called: raia-picuda, raya picuda, cuphead skate
- maximum
- 111 cm
- depth
- 104–159 m
who is the cuphead skate
The pointed skate is a skate of the family Arhynchobatidae, with a flattened body and a disc formed by the pectoral fins. It reaches 111 cm. It lives on the bottom, usually between 104 and 159 m deep, in temperate waters of the Southwest Atlantic, from Uruguay to Argentina and the Falklands. It is oviparous, and the egg cases have horn-like projections on the shell. It turns up as bycatch of trawl and bottom longline fishing, and also in skate-targeted longline fishing, especially near Mar del Plata, Argentina. 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 cuphead skate.
identification
Flattened skate with a broad disc, pointed snout (picuda, in Spanish) and thin tail set apart from the disc. It lives deeper than coastal skates, usually between 104 and 159 m, so it is often found farther from the coast. It is a skate of the Southwest Atlantic, from Uruguay to Argentina.
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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
Southwest Atlantic, from Uruguay to Argentina, including the Falklands. It does not occur in Brazil.
Habitat: Sea floor, usually between 104 and 159 meters deep, in temperate waters.
rules for the cuphead 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 scaphiops (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 scaphiopsNames by country and language.