Graytail Skate

In the Atlantic Ocean, the graytail skate is found off the coast of Argentina and in the waters surrounding the Falkland Islands. The northern extent of its range in the Atlantic is 37 degrees South. Its range extends very slightly past Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Chile, but does not extend beyond a northern extent of 41 degrees South. Although graytail skates have been found in waters as shallow as 51 metres (167 ft), they are most often found deeper than 250 metres (820 ft). They are found all over the continental shelf surrounding the Falkland Islands, but are found in highest concentration in the western, deeper shelf margin. Individuals also segregate spatially by age class. Nursery grounds near the Falkland Islands are generally located at depths of 300-350m. Juveniles are found in deeper water, 400 to 600 metres (1,300 to 2,000 ft), but migrate either to the upper slope (200 to 400 metres (660 to 1,310 ft)) or into deeper water (below 600 metres (2,000 ft)) after growing to 40 to 45 centimetres (16 to 18 in) in length. The current population size of the graytail skate is not known. However the catch per unit effort has declined from 1993-2001, as well as a decrease in size. These indicators led to the partial closure of the fishery around the Falklands, although no assessments have been completed to gauge current status. …