Common names
Afrikanischer adlerrochen, Afrikanischer gefleckter adlerrochen, Gestreifter Adlerrochen, Arzobispo, Bon Jesús, Chucho, Chucho vaca, Milá, Obispo, Peje obispo, Pez obispo, Ratón, Aigle-vachette, Mourine, Mourine vachette, Mourine évêque, Mourine évêque bovine, Raie aigle, Bull ray, Bullray, Duckbill, Duckbill ray, Eagle ray, Bugghiu, Colombo, Colombo di mare, Ferraccia, Matan, Muggiu, Nottola, Orineglia, Oxella, Patesse, Stramasso, Tattarita, Tistuni, Vaccarella, Vaccariella, Vacche, Vascarella, Vescovo, Bispo, Papa, Peixe-bispo, Ratao bovino, Ratão-bispo

Short Description
Field marks and Diagnostic Features after EBERT & STEHMANN, 2013 [17836]: Field Marks: Disc transversally lozenge-shaped, about twice as wide as long. Undamaged tail about twice as long as disc, with a single, small dorsal fin on base originating far anterior to pelvic fins posterior margins, and with a long, serrated spine directly behind dorsal fin, after which the tail becomes rapidly thinner like a whip-lash. Snout short but pronounced as a subrostral lobe that is narrowly rounded to a pointed tip. Colour of disc above plain brown in adults, but with 7 to 8 pale transverse streaks in juveniles; underside whitish. Diagnostic Features: Disc transversally lozenge-shaped, about twice as wide as long, with long anterior margins strongly convex, falcate outer corners and strongly concave, somewhat undulated posterior margins; head elevated from disc, with eyes and spiracles on sides of head, forehead of which steeply sloping to subrostral lobe; snout short but pronounced as narrowly rounded to pointed tip formed by subrostral lobe of pectoral–fin radials being separated at sides of head from remainder of pectoral fins; pelvic fins subquadrate unilobed. Tail, if undamaged, about twice as long as disc, with a single, small dorsal fin on base originating far anterior to pelvic fins posterior margins, and a long, serrated spine originating directly behind dorsal fin; thereafter, the tail becoming rapidly thinner like a whip-lash. Skin smooth above and below. Usually seven rows of flat thick teeth in each jaw forming very massive grinding plates, teeth in middle row of upper jaw 6 to 8 times as broad as long. Colour: disc above plain brown in adults, but with 7 to 8 pale transverse streaks in juveniles; underside whitish, with wing tips more or less reddish-brown, the whip-lash tail dark

Distribution
Eastern North Atlantic: from off Morocco and Madeira, but not at Azores, northward along the Iberian Peninsula to the southern Bay of Biscay. Also found throughout the Mediterranean Sea, but not in the Black Sea. Elsewhere, southward along the West African coast to off South Africa, where it is rare in the coldwater upwelling region off Namibia and the Western Cape region, but more common in the south-western Indian Ocean north to Zanzibar [17836].

Human uses
fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

Biology
Exhibit ovoviparity (aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding initially on yolk, then receiving additional nourishment from the mother by indirect absorption of uterine fluid enriched with mucus, fat or protein through specialised structures [733]. Gestation about 6 months; 3-7 young produced [536]. Size at birth 45 cm WD (Ref. 6677). Feeds on fish and zoobenthos [536].

Size / Weight / Age
250 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637)); max. published weight: 83.0 kg (Ref. 3965)

Habitat
benthopelagic; brackish; marine; depth range 10 - 150 m [17687]

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=5289;

Parasites (arranged by Jürgen Pollerspöck)
Monogenea

• Empruthotrema chisholmae Hernandez-Orts, Ahuir-Baraja, Raga & Montero, 2010 [21266]
• Heliocotyle kartasi Neifar & Euzet & Ben Hassine, 1999 [21211]
• Myliocotyle pteromylaei Neifar, Euzet Ben Hassine 1999 [10846]

Cestoda

• Caulobothrium sp. [16908]
• Halysioncum sp. [19536]

Nematoda

• Mawsonascaris pastinacae (Rudolphi, 1819) [17029]

Copepoda

• Pseudocharopinus pteromylaei Raibaut & Essafi, 1979 [17503]

Hirudinea

• Branchellion torpedinis Savigny, 1822 [24517]