Common Name
Longnose Legskate
Year Described
Bigelow & Schroeder, 1962
Identification
Disk broad and spade-shaped, with an extremely long snout (24-30% TL). The snout tip is filamentous. Pectoral fin origin at about 80% SL. Eyes close together. Mouth moderately arched with 24-28 rows of teeth. Pelvic fins completely divided into anterior and posterior sections; the anterior part long and limb-like and the posterior part small and attached to the pectoral fin. Slender tail lacks dorsal fins but has lateral folds, and has a small caudal fin (divided by vertebral column), and is 42% of TL. Body naked except for small alar patches in males.
Color
Purplish-gray dorsally with the rostral filament black. Area on either side of rostrum semi-transparent. Belly pale gray.
Size
Maximum size to 74.5cm TL.
Habitat
Deep continental shelf waters from 520-1052m over soft bottoms.
Range
Northern Gulf of Mexico, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Antilles.
References
Last, P.R., White, W.T., Carvalho, M.R. de, Séret, B., Stehmann, M.F.W & Naylor, G.J.P (Eds.). 2016. Rays of the World. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
McEachran, J.D. & J.D. Fechhelm. 1998. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. Volume 1: Myxiniformes to Gasterosteiformes. University of Texas Press, Austin. i-viii + 1-1112.