Age, growth, and latitudinal patterns of two Rajidae species in the northwestern Atlantic: little skate (<i>Leucoraja erinacea</i>) and winter skate (<i>Leucoraja ocellata</i>)

Frisk, Michael; Miller, Thomas J.

doi:10.1139/f06-005

Cited by 61 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Within elasmobranchs, faster and slower species can be identified (Cortes 2002;Frisk et al 2005). Little skate Leucoraja erinacea and winter skate L. ocellata are conspecific species with a similar phylogeny, body plan, habitat, and life history (McEachran and Musick 1973;Gabriel 1992;Alvarado Bremer et al 2005;Frisk and Miller 2006). Yet, these two species have different positions on the fast-slow continuum of elasmobranch life histories .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet, these two species have different positions on the fast-slow continuum of elasmobranch life histories . Little skate is a small (total length [TL] ¼ 57 cm), moderately fast growing species (von Bertalanffy growth rate ¼ 0.19 cm/year) and moderately long lived (12 years), whereas winter skate is larger (111 cm), slow growing (0.07 cm/year), and long lived (20þ years; Frisk and Miller 2006). In the western Atlantic, little skate and winter skate are the most frequently captured skates in commercial fisheries (NEFSC 1999;Frisk et al 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is not uncommon for marine species in northern sections of their range to exhibit slower growth, later age at maturation, and increased longevity (Taylor 1958;Beverton and Holt 1959;Jennings and Beverton 1991;Beverton 1992;Frisk and Miller 2006). Frisk and Miller (2006) recently highlighted the geographic variation in the life history parameters of little skate, showing that individuals grow more slowly in the northern part of the species' range.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Frisk and Miller (2006) recently highlighted the geographic variation in the life history parameters of little skate, showing that individuals grow more slowly in the northern part of the species' range. Local variation can have important implications for the population growth rate and ultimately the sustainable level of exploitation that a species can support (Frisk 2004;Frisk and Miller 2006). For species that occur over a large geographic range, it is not appropriate to assume a continuous stock within which vital rates such as the growth rate and age of maturity are invariant (Ebert et al 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Maturation of Little Skate and Winter Skate in the Western Atlantic from Cape Hatteras to Georges Bank

Frisk

Miller

2009

Mar Coast Fish

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We estimated the length and age of maturation in little skate Leucoraja erinacea and winter skate L. ocellata based on samples of 1,884 little skate and 1,153 winter skate ovaries collected from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to Georges Bank. Two levels of maturity were recognized: onset maturity, which marks the onset of the allocation of energy from somatic growth to reproduction; and “functional” maturity, which marks the point when mature oocytes are released. Size at maturation increased with latitude in little skate, 50% onset maturity occurring at 42.5, 43.0, and 46.5 cm (total length) and 50% functional maturity at 43, 44, and 46 cm for the mid‐Atlantic, southern New England–Georges Bank, and Gulf of Maine regions, respectively. Based on age estimates from previously published work, the age at which little skate achieve functional maturation ranged between 7.0 and 7.5 years for the U.S. northeast coast. In winter skate, no statistically significant regional differences in maturation rates were found. Size at 50% onset maturity was estimated to be 66 cm and at 50% functional maturity 76 cm for the U.S. northeast coast. In winter skate, onset maturity occurred at 9.5 years and functional maturity at 12.5 years. Thus, functional maturity in this species occurred 3 years after the onset of maturation, indicating that the species has a long adolescence before contributing offspring to the population.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Maturation of Little Skate and Winter Skate in the Western Atlantic from Cape Hatteras to Georges Bank

Frisk

Miller

2009

Mar Coast Fish

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Lectin binding to pectoral fin of neonate little skates reared under ambient and projected‐end‐of‐century temperature regimes

Thomas,

Peele,

Yopak

et al. 2024

Journal of Morphology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The glycosylation of macromolecules can vary both among tissue structural components and by adverse conditions, potentially providing an alternative marker of stress in organisms. Lectins are proteins that bind carbohydrate moieties and lectin histochemistry is a common method to visualize microstructures in biological specimens and diagnose pathophysiological states in human tissues known to alter glycan profiles. However, this technique is not commonly used to assess broad‐spectrum changes in cellular glycosylation in response to environmental stressors. In addition, the binding of various lectins has not been studied in elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays). We surveyed the binding tissue structure specificity of 14 plant‐derived lectins, using both immunoblotting and immunofluorescence, in the pectoral fins of neonate little skates (Leucoraja erinacea). Skates were reared under present‐day or elevated (+5°C above ambient) temperature regimes and evaluated for lectin binding as an indicator of changing cellular glycosylation and tissue structure. Lectin labeling was highly tissue and microstructure specific. Dot blots revealed no significant changes in lectin binding between temperature regimes. In addition, lectins only detected in the elevated temperature treatment were Canavalia ensiformis lectin (Concanavalin A) in spindle cells of muscle and Ricinus communis agglutinin in muscle capillaries. These results provide a reference for lectin labeling in elasmobranch tissue that may aid future investigations.

show abstract

First Observations of Long‐Distance Migration in a Large Skate Species, the Winter Skate: Implications for Population Connectivity, Ecosystem Dynamics, and Management

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The overexploitation and decline of groundfish populations throughout the 1980s and 1990s resulted in a regime shift on Georges Bank and southern New England, which was characterized by subsequent exponential increases in the observed biomass of Winter Skate Leucoraja ocellata in the region. Recent work suggested that the rate of the Winter Skate biomass increase cannot be fully explained by internal population dynamics of a population without immigration from other regions and/or populations and that adult‐mediated population connectivity (AMPC) with neighboring regions is required to fully explain biomass trends. Despite this, no evidence of long‐distance dispersal has been observed for Winter Skate, with individuals assumed to display high endemicity to specific regions of the continental shelf. Annual movements of 58 Winter Skate captured off coastal New York were examined using passive acoustic telemetry, revealing seasonal long‐distance dispersal capabilities exceeding 1,000 km. In total, 88,783 unique acoustic detections were observed. Telemetered individuals had an average time at liberty of 199.73 d and collectively traveled 17,576.9 km. Individuals tended to migrate south during summer/fall and north during winter/spring. Movement rates of individuals averaged 9.88 km/d (95% confidence interval = 9.25–10.92 km/d) but ranged from 0.13 to 41.38 km/d. An additional 51 recaptured Winter Skate from a total of 3,416 marked with Floy tags suggested greater offshore movement than was observed in acoustically tagged individuals. Our results illustrate that the Winter Skate is a highly mobile species that moves extensively throughout its large geographic range, consistent with its observed ability to rapidly invade neighboring habitat via AMPC. This study has important implications for our understanding of the role of Winter Skate in northwest Atlantic communities and for management strategies therein.

show abstract

Age, growth, and latitudinal patterns of two Rajidae species in the northwestern Atlantic: little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) and winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata)

Cited by 61 publications

References 24 publications

Maturation of Little Skate and Winter Skate in the Western Atlantic from Cape Hatteras to Georges Bank

Maturation of Little Skate and Winter Skate in the Western Atlantic from Cape Hatteras to Georges Bank

Lectin binding to pectoral fin of neonate little skates reared under ambient and projected‐end‐of‐century temperature regimes

First Observations of Long‐Distance Migration in a Large Skate Species, the Winter Skate: Implications for Population Connectivity, Ecosystem Dynamics, and Management

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About