Distribution, Growth and Reproduction of the White-spotted Skate Bathyraja albomaculata (Norman, 1937) Around the Falkland Islands

Aaron C. Henderson, Alexander I. Arkhipkin, Janna N. Chtcherbich

Fisheries Department, Falkland Islands Government
P. O. Box 598, Stanley, FIQQ 1ZZ, Falkland Islands

Publication (Upload) date: 29 September 2004

HENDERSON, A. C., A. I. ARKHIPKIN, and J. N. CHTCHERBICH. 2005. Distribution, Growth and Reproduction of the White-spotted Skate Bathyraja albomaculata (Norman, 1937) Around the Falkland Islands. J. Northw. Atl. Fish. Sci., 35: 79-87. https://doi.org/10.2960/J.v35.m503

Abstract

Specimens of Bathyraja albomaculata collected on-board commercial and research vessels operating within the Falkland Islands Interim Conservation and Management Zone ranged in size between 7–73 cm disc width (DW), with the sexes evenly distributed throughout the depth-range studied. Both sexes displayed a negatively-skewed unimodal size-distribution above 200 m while at deeper depths the size-distribution of both sexes was bimodal, with smaller individuals accounting for an increased proportion of the population. Females matured between 29–46 cm DW, and males between 35–46 cm DW, with the size at 50% maturity occurring at 40.0 cm and 41.6 cm in males and females respectively. Gravid and post-partum females were observed year-round and throughout the species' depth range. However, there was an increase in the proportion of gravid/post-partum females during autumn and winter (March–August). Specimens were aged by incremental analysis of the dorsal thorns and the results were used to generate the von Bertalanffy equations DW_t = 70.6 (1 – e^{–0.07(t+2.39)}) and DW_t = 64.9 (1 – e^{–0.09(t+1.94)}) for males and females respectively.

Key words: Bathyraja albomaculate, distribution, Falkland Islands, growth, reproduction, skate

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