Ir-Raja ta' Malta
A small bottom-dwelling skate of the Mediterranean, known as the Maltese ray, that is threatened by accidental catches in fishing nets.
The Maltese skate or Maltese ray is a small skate that lives on the seabed. It is one of three rare skate species that originate in the Mediterranean. Adults are around 50 cm long at most, with a short, pointed snout and thorns around the eyes and along the back and tail.
Because it lives on the seabed it is easily caught by accident in commercial fishing nets. This bycatch is the main reason the species faces a serious risk of extinction.
Threats
Accidental capture in commercial fishing nets (bycatch) is the main threat, because the skate lives on the seabed.
Text: Wikipedia, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Edited by the Editorial Team.
