Domino Skate

A medium-sized species of Bathyraja with the following combination of characters: snout long, pointed and very broad, supported by a slender flexible medial cartilage; margin of disc (anterior two-thirds) straight. Orbit about 6.0 times in preorbital length and 0.73 times interorbital width. Mouth moderately broad, 6.8% TL; outer margins of nasal curtain with distinct, broadly triangular lobelet immediately posterior to each nostril; posterior margin of nasal curtain with prominent fringes. Tail of moderate length (about 0.9 times precloacal length), slightly depressed and slender; lateral skin fold moderately developed. Dorsal surface of disc and tail entirely covered with small and fine dermal denticles; ventral surface naked; disc entirely free of enlarged thorns; tail with single median row of 18 large thorns laterally compressed. Dorsal fins small, oblique, about equal in height; epichordal caudal-fin lobe developed. Dorsal surface mostly uniformly white except for black color along disc and tail margins, anterior lobes of pelvic fins, claspers, and dorsal fins. Ventral surface entirely black. Clasper glans with pseudosiphon and component projection; ventral terminal cartilage spoonlike; accessory terminal 2 cartilage with an expanded disc-shaped tip. Distal section of crowns of alar thorns undulating. Tooth rows: 30 in upper jaw, 28 in lower jaw; trunk centra 35; predorsal caudal centra 70; diplospondylous centra 109; pectoral-fin radials 88 (Ref. 89184).

Probably a benthic species, found more widespread on deep insular slopes of Coral Sea (Ref. 114953).

Bathyraja leucomelanos, commonly known as domino skate, is a species of softnose skate, closely related to Bathyraja spinicauda. The complete range is not known, however the holotype specimen of B. leucomelanos was caught on the Coriolis Bank, off western New Caledonia in 2002. The male holotype specimen measures 888 millimetres (35 in) total length and 608 mm (24 in) across the disc. Dorsal coloration is mostly white, with black on the disc and tail margins. Ventral coloration is black.

The tail has 18 laterally compressed spines, the dorsal surface is covered in denticles, while the ventral surface lacks denticles.