The guide is an illustrated helping hand from the experts in the field from DTU Aqua and from the University of Copenhagen to fishermen, biologists and those generally interested in marine life around Denmark to be able to identify the different shark and skate species from each other.
The thing is that we don’t just have a few species of sharks and skates in our domestic waters. The guide describes the characteristics, biology, similar species, habitat and distribution of 14 shark species and 16 skate species.
In addition, the guide contains a visual quick guide, providing you with a quick overview of the shark and ray species potentially to be found in Danish and neighboring waters. You will also find a glossary containing the common terms and anatomical illustrations of a shark and a skate.
Species identification is important for the management of vulnerable species
Whether it is a spotted skate, a cuckoo skate or a blonde skate you have caught in your fishing net, is of great importance in working with sustainably managing stocks – not least because sharks and skates are particularly vulnerable species.
Skates and sharks are vulnerable to fishing and other human-induced impacts. This is because they only start reproducing at a late age and usually only give birth to few young. Some of the species are even categorized as endangered.
In order to sustainably manage stocks, it is crucial that the information you have about the different species is as correct as possible.
In that respect, the guide has been made specifically with the aim of helping researchers and technicians who collect data on fish stocks, as well as fishermen, fish auctions, fisheries control and other users on land and at sea.
The risk of confusion
Several species of skates are easily misidentified. This especially includes the “spotted” skates such as cuckoo skate (Leucoraja naevus), spotted skate (Rajamontagui), blonde skate (Raja brachyura), thornback skate (Raja clavata) and thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata).
It is also important to be aware of the similarities between the flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius), blue skate (Dipturus batis), and the longnose skate (Dipturus oxyrinchus), as both the flapper skate and the blue skate are critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN stands for International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Print to go
If the guide is to be taken into the field or laboratory, the authors suggest printing and laminating the pages and binding them with a spiral spine or rings on the side.
A guide to sharks and skates in Danish and adjacent waters is created in collaboration with the researchers from the University of Copenhagen, who are behind the Fish Atlas.
