# big skate (*Raja binoculata*) The big skate is a flat fish that glides gracefully along the ocean floor. It has a unique shape and can be found in cool waters, making it a special part of the underwater world. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas - **Also known as:** Pacific Skate ![big skate](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Big_skate_seaworld.jpg&width=800) Photo: valerie mayers, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Big_skate_seaworld.jpg) ## Appearance The big skate has a wide, diamond-shaped body with a long, thorny tail. Its coloration varies from light brown to dark gray, often with small, pale spots and blotches that help it blend with the seafloor. It's noticeably larger than most other skates, with two large eyes on top of its head. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Rajiformes - **Family:** Rajidae - **Genus:** Beringraja ## Interesting facts - Baby skates hatch from amazing, protective egg cases! - Big skates are the largest skate species in North America! - Their eyes are on top of their head, but their mouth is underneath! - They are part of the same family as sharks and rays! ## Special abilities - **Sand Camouflage:** Big skate can quickly bury itself under sand because of its flat body shape that helps them ambush prey or hide from danger. - **Electrosense Hunter:** Big skate has special pores on its snout that helps them detect the tiny electrical signals given off by hidden prey like crabs. - **Mermaid's Purse Eggs:** Big skate lays its eggs in tough, leathery cases called 'mermaid's purses' that helps them protect their developing young. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 80-240 cm - **Weight:** 10-90 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Swim Speed:** 5 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 800 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding The big skate is a bottom-dwelling hunter that loves to eat small fish and crunchy crustaceans! - **Age differences:** Young skates eat mostly small crustaceans and worms, while adults shift to larger fish and crabs. - **Primary Foods:** Dungeness crab, sand shrimp, Pacific herring, flatfish, octopus, clams - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Great white shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-white-shark) (*Carcharodon carcharias*) — Large sharks sometimes prey on big skates. - **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Killer whales occasionally hunt skates in coastal waters. - **Hunts:** [Dungeness crab](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dungeness-crab) (*Cancer magister*) — Big skates actively hunt and eat various crab species. - **Hunts:** [Pacific herring](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pacific-herring) (*Clupea pallasii*) — Smaller fish like herring are a common food source. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Ambush Predator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ambush-predator): An ambush predator hunts by patiently waiting and concealing itself, then launching a sudden attack when unsuspecting prey comes within range. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low If you see a skate at the beach, admire it from a distance and don't touch it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify big skate? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is big skate? 80-240 cm ### How much does big skate weigh? 10-90 kg ### How long does big skate live? 15-20 years ### What does big skate eat? The big skate is a bottom-dwelling hunter that loves to eat small fish and crunchy crustaceans! ### How fast can big skate swim? 5 km/h ### Where is big skate usually found? Coastal areas ### How does big skate hunt? Ambush ## Where to spot - [Aquarium of the Bay](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/aquarium-of-the-bay-california) — California, US · Zoo - [Aquarium of the Bay](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/aquarium-of-the-bay) — California, US · Aquarium ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Big Skate: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/big-skate)