Depth
Dipturus · Sharks & Rays

Longnosed Skate

Dipturus oxyrinchus

15-900m
Depth Range
1.5m
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
15-900m
Depth Range
1.5m
Max Size
Sandy / Muddy
Habitat
Carnivore
Diet
Solitary
Social
NT
IUCN Status
Rare
Sighting Likelihood
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Elasmobranchii
Genus Dipturus
Species oxyrinchus

Elasmobranch

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationA large skate with a distinctively elongated, sharply pointed snout and a broad, diamond-shaped disc. The upper surface is brown to grey with scattered darker spots, and the underside is pale grey to white. Rows of thorny spines run along the midline of the tail.
  • SizeDisc width up to 150 cm. Total length including tail up to 150 cm.
  • Social HabitSolitary. Rests on the seabed during the day, partially buried in sediment. More active at night when hunting.
  • HabitatSoft muddy and sandy bottoms on the continental shelf and upper slope.
  • Depth15 to 900 m. Most common between 50 and 200 m.
  • Feeds OnCrustaceans (crabs and shrimp), small bony fish, and cephalopods found on or near the seabed.
  • DistributionEastern Atlantic from Iceland and Norway to South Africa, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
  • DescriptionDipturus oxyrinchus is a large, long-snouted skate of deeper shelf waters. It spends most of its time resting on soft seabeds, relying on its camouflage to avoid detection. Like many skates, it produces egg cases (sometimes called mermaid's purses) that are deposited on the seabed. Listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to slow reproduction and bycatch.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

Found on soft substrates across the Mediterranean continental shelf and upper slope, from around 15m to 900m depth. More common in deeper waters, where it rests partially buried on muddy or sandy bottoms.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Prefers sandy and muddy seabeds on the outer continental shelf and upper slope. Rests on the bottom during the day, often partially covered by sediment, becoming more active at night to forage.

Encounter Tips

Best approached slowly and calmly. Avoid casting shadows directly over the animal. Neutral buoyancy and patience increase encounter success significantly.

Longnosed Skate species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

Feeds on bottom-dwelling fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Detects prey using electroreceptors in its snout, then pins items against the seabed with its broad disc before consuming them.

Benthic predator

Reproduction

Oviparous, depositing large, rectangular egg cases with pointed horns onto the seabed. Each case holds a single embryo that takes several months to develop. Females produce relatively few eggs per year.

Oviparous

Behaviour & Defence

Relies on camouflage as its primary defence, lying motionless on the seabed and partially burying itself in sediment. When disturbed, it lifts off the bottom and swims away with undulating disc movements.

Camouflage

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Dive sites where Dipturus oxyrinchus may be encountered will be added as sighting data is collected.

IUCN Red List Near Threatened

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

Source: IUCN Red List
diveshack Mediterranean Marine Life guide