Most sharks have a torpedo-like streamlined body, whereas skates and rays are defined by their flattened bodies.
In European waters, the name skate typically refers to the long-nosed larger species such as the White skate (Rostroraja alba) and the term ray refers to smaller species such as the Thornback ray (Raja clavata).
In fact these species are all skates because they lay eggs (oviparous), and the true rays are actually the species which give birth to live young (viviparous).
As with shark species, the wide range of marine habitats around our coastline means that we are lucky to have a large number of highly diverse ray and skate species
An impressive 33 species of rays and skates have been recorded in the Irish territory to date (correct as of Feb 23). These range from the relatively common Thornback ray (Raja clavata) to the Critically Endangered White skate (Rostroraja alba), which can grow to over two meters in diameter.
And our understanding is constantly evolving, and as such the previously known ‘Common Skate’ (Raja batis) is now considered to be a two distinct species – the Blue Skate (Dipturus batis) and the much larger Flapper Skate (Dipturus intermedius)
Below is a list (correct as of February 2023) of the species verified and recorded within the Irish territory:
| RAJIDAE (Skates & Rays) | |
| White Skate | Rostroraja alba |
| Longnosed Skate | Dipturus oxyrinchus |
| Blue Skate | Dipturus batis |
| Flapper Skate | Dipturus intermedius |
| Norwegian Skate | Dipturus nidarosiensis |
| Krefft’s Ray | Malacoraja kreffti |
| Soft Skate | Malacoraja spinacidermis |
| Richardson’s Ray | Bathyraja richardsoni |
| Spinetail Ray | Bathyraja spinicauda |
| Pale Ray | Bathyraja pallida |
| Shorttail Skate | Amblyraja jenseni |
| Arctic Skate | Amblyraja hyperborea |
| Starry Skate | Amblyraja radiata |
| Bigelow’s Ray | Rajella bigelowi |
| Round Ray | Rajella fyllae |
| Deep-water Ray | Rajella bathyphila |
| Mid-Atlantic Skate | Rajella kukujevi |
| Ghost Skate | Rajella dissimilis |
| Cuckoo Ray | Leucoraja naevus |
| Sandy Ray | Leucoraja circularis |
| Shagreen Ray | Leucoraja fullonica |
| Thornback Ray | Raja clavata |
| Small-eyed Ray | Raja microocellata |
| Blonde Ray | Raja brachyura |
| Spotted Ray | Raja montagui |
| Undulate Ray | Raja undulata |
| Blue Ray | Neoraja caerulea |
| DASYATIDAE (Sting Rays) | |
| Common Stingray | Dasyatis pastinaca |
| Pelagic (Violet) Stingray | Pteroplatytrygon violacea |
| TORPEDINIDAE (Electric Rays) | |
| Electric Ray | Tetronarce nobiliana |
| Marbled Electric Ray | Torpedo marmorata |
| MOBULIDAE (Devil Rays) | |
| Devil Ray | Mobula mobular |
| MYLIOBATIDAE (Eagle Rays) | |
| Eagle Ray | Myliobatis aquila |
The above list is only possible with a huge thanks to Declan Quigley for his boundless passion and dedicated investigations and record keeping
Angel Sharks 