''Bathyraja mariposa'', sometimes referred to as the butterfly skate, is a species of skate found in the Aleutian islands. It is overall a medium-brown color, lacks thorns on the disc and has indistinct thorns on the tail. It was discovered in 2002 during a National Marine Fisheries Service survey, and first described in 2004. The holotype specimen is held at the University of Washington. Its species name "mariposa" derives from the Spanish word for butterfly, although several other species are sometimes referred to as the "butterfly skate."

Description

''Bathyraja mariposa'' is a medium-sized skate relative to other Alaska skates, measuring approximately 0.76 meters total length. It has a lengthy snout and moderately long tail and lacks a pseudosiphon in the claspers. It is morphologically similar to two other Alaskan skates, ''

Bathyraja violacea ''Bathyraja'' is a large genus of skates in the family Arhynchobatidae. Species There are 55 recognized species in this genus:Orr, J.W., Stevenson, D.E., Hoff, G.R., Spies, I. & McEachran, J.D. (2011)Bathyraja panthera, ''a new species of skate ...

'' and '' Rhinoraja taranetzi'', but can be distinguished based on coloration patterns. ''B. mariposa'' is green-brown on the dorsal side of the disc, with small dark brown or black blotches on disc and tail. Large yellowish blotches usually appear on the surface of the pectoral fins. The dorsal surface of the disc has uniformly dense coverage of

dermal denticle A fish scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of the skin of a fish. The skin of most jawed fishes is covered with these protective scales, which can also provide effective camouflage through the use of reflection and colouration, as we ...

Ecology

''Bathyraja mariposa'' has been estimated to have a population density of approximately 0.34 individuals per square kilometer in the Aleutian islands.

Trawl survey Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net used for trawling is called a trawl. This principle requires netting bags which are towed through water to catch different spec ...

s have not uncovered this species outside of that region and appears to be found principally in the central Aleutians. It is believed to be benthopelagic, found in waters 90 – 448 meters deep.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:skate, butterfly butterfly skate Fish of the Bering Sea Fauna of the Aleutian Islands Taxa named by Duane E. Stevenson Taxa named by James Wilder Orr Taxa named by Gerald Raymond Hoff Taxa named by John D. McEachran butterfly skate Endemic fauna of Alaska