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fishing forecast

eyespot skate

Atlantoraja cyclophora · Arhynchobatidae · predator

Seanational list: VU · vulnerableessential profile

Bottom skate from the southeastern and southern coast of Brazil, threatened in the country. Capture is prohibited in Brazil: if you hook it by accident, release it right away.

Also called: raia-de-círculos, raia, emplastro, raya de círculos, eyespot skate

Scientific illustration of Eyespot skate
maximum
79 cm
location

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period

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the species

everything about the eyespot skate

overview

who is the eyespot skate

The ring-patterned skate is a skate of the family Arhynchobatidae, with a flattened body and pectoral fins that form a disc. It reaches 78.9 cm and lives on the shelf bottom, down to 150 m deep, from Cabo Frio, in Rio de Janeiro, to Argentina. It is oviparous: the eggs have horn-like projections on the shell. Sexual maturity occurs at about 54 cm. It appears in commercial fishing and is on the national list of threatened species as vulnerable, with capture prohibited 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 eyespot skate; in the meantime, see the similar species.

how to recognize it

identification

Skate with a round, flattened disc, thin tail separated from the disc, and mouth on the underside. The back has circular markings, like eyes, which give the Spanish name (raya de círculos). It shares the southeastern and southern coast with the saint skate (Rioraja agassizii), which is smaller and has a smooth back, and with the emplastro skate (Sympterygia acuta), which has a larger snout.

distribution

where found

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Southwestern Atlantic, from Cabo Frio, in Rio de Janeiro, to Argentina. In Brazil it lives on the southeastern and southern coast.

Habitat: Shelf bottom, down to 150 meters deep.

coast

Southeast CoastSouth Coastshelf
what the law says

rules for the eyespot 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.
Conservation: On the national list of threatened species as VU. Global IUCN assessment: EN.

Threatened species in Brazil: catch banned

full protection

The national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026) classifies the species as VU. Under Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3º), VU, EN and CR species have full protection: catch, transport, storage, processing and sale are banned. If you hook one by accident, release it at once, handling it as little as possible.

Source: Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026, art. 3º, and Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026

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.

Threatened species with capture prohibited in Brazil. If it comes on the line, keep the skate in the water whenever you can, remove the hook with long-nose pliers or cut the line close and release it right away. Avoid lifting it by the tail and watch the spines on the back and tail.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00562, b = 3.03; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). 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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Atlantoraja cyclophora (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Atlantoraja cyclophoraNames by country and language.
  3. official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
don't confuse

similar species