Argentina is one of the countries with the largest overall landings of skates and rays(24 000 t/year). As a consequence of high levels of exploitation and deficient managementtools, many of these species are threatened with extinction. In the bottom trawl fisheryof San Matías Gulf, northern Patagonia, skates and rays are caught as bycatch and all havehistorically been recorded in the fishery logbook under the category “rays”. Therefore,species composition and their characteristics were unknown. The aim of this study was tocharacterize the commercial exploitation of batoid species in this fishery. Our resultsindicate that commercial landings include nine species of skate, six of which are common.Among these, Atlantoraja platana, Sympterygia bonapartiiand Dipturus chilensis were considered the main species of thisfishery. Their combined relative abundance and weight made up about 90% of the batoidcatch throughout the year. Sexual segregation was detected in four species in whichindividuals of one sex dominated commercial landings. The commercial fraction was composedof individuals with a wide range of sizes. Immature individuals could represent 90% of theindividuals landed for some species. At present, lack of data prevents us from quantifyingthe impact that this fishery is having on these species, but our findings highlight theimportance of conducting research surveys to assess the abundance and geographic extent ofthese populations. The information presented here provided the basis for the proposal of anew logbook format incorporating species-level identification. The new logbook wasimplemented on 1 January 2010.

Six additional specimens (56–330 mm DW, 152–558 mm TL), including two embryos, of Brazilian deep-water skate, Rajella sadowskii, were used to supplement the original description which was based on eight specimens. The original description is considered sufficient, however, the range of some characters are enlarged, including some diagnostic measurements and counts characters. The description of adult fresh specimen, embryos, egg capsules, scapulocoracoid and the pelvis of this species are reported here for the first time, all collected on the Campos Basin off south-eastern Brazil, at depths from 1067 to 1353 m.

The reproductive biology of Psammobatis lentiginosa was studied in San Matías Gulf (Patagonia, south-west Atlantic). A total of 1033 skates was analysed, total length ranged from 17 to 52 cm for females and from 13 to 55 cm for males. Total length–total weights relationships differed between sexes, with TW = 0.005 × TL3.02 for females and TW = 0.005 × TL2.97 for males. The overall sex-ratio was 1:1. In females, the L50% was 41.06 cm, in males the L50% was 41.38 cm. The mean number of yolked oocytes per skate was 4.22 (±2.41). The mean number of yolked oocytes and the length of the female were linearly related. The diameter maximum of yolked oocytes was 24 mm. The species exhibited a continuous reproductive cycle throughout the year, with a peak of egg-case production during autumn that was synchronous with maximum values of the epididymis and uterus indices. This is the first record of a reproductive aggregation for P. lentiginosa in San Matías Gulf, North Patagonia. This finding together with its continuous presence around the year, suggest that this area is the main distribution area of P. lentiginosa in the south-west Atlantic.

The reproductive systems of 39 male and 54 female Bathyraja albomaculata were assessed microscopically and compared with macroscopic maturity index values assigned by scientific observers. Inconsistencies were limited to ‘developing’ maturity stages in both sexes, but such discrepancies were attributed to different factors depending on sex. Furthermore, while spermatozoa were observed in the oviducal gland of females, they do not appear to accommodate long-term sperm storage in this species.

A male specimen of Leucoraja circularis was captured in January 2005 by a bottom trawler operating south-east off the Anzio coast (central Tyrrhenian Sea). Biometric and meristic characters of the specimen are presented. This capture represents the first documented record of the species in the central Tyrrhenian Sea.

A parasitological survey in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, resulted in the recovery of mature specimens from 5 species of phyllobothriid tapeworms (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) from 4 rajid skates: Echeneibothrium canadensis and E. dubium abyssorum specimens from Amblyraja radiata; E. vernetae and Pseudanthobothrium n.sp. from Leucoraja erinacea and L. ocellata; and P. hanseni from A. radiata and Malacoraja senta. Partial sequence data of a variable region (D2) from the large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU) were used here to determine the host distribution of immature specimens for 4 of these 5 species (E. d. abyssorum was not included in the analyses). Immature specimens from both Pseudanthobothrium spp. were identified in the same hosts as recorded previously for mature specimens, thus suggesting that there are mechanisms that prevent the attachment of the parasite in an ‘unsuitable’ host species. Immature E. canadensis specimens were recovered exclusively from A. radiata, whereas immature E. vernetae specimens were recovered from L. erinacea and A. radiata, despite the latter host species not harbouring mature E. vernetae specimens. Their presence in the latter host species may be explained by host restriction or resistance, which allows the attachment of the parasites in the ‘wrong’ host species, but not establishment or development.

Skates and rays constitute important resources for several fishing fleets of mainland Portugal with total annual landings around 1500 tons. Regardless of their commercial interest, landed specimens are not differentiated at species level. To get a preliminary insight into the species diversity of landings, a pilot sampling program on skates and rays composition was executed in the two ports of mainland Portugal with the highest landings of this group– Matosinhos and Peniche. Sampling was carried out once a month in each port between January and April 2001. Based on the information obtained, a new sampling plan was established for the artisanal fishery (gillnet fleet), at each landing port. This sampling program was conducted until the end of 2001. A total of eight species were identified. Raja brachyura and Raja clavata were the most common species found in the landings of each port, while Raja miraletus was only occasionally recorded. Rajidae landings in mainland Portugal are mainly by-catch of the artisanal segment of the commercial fishing fleet.