Inter- and Intraspecific Variation in Dorsal Pigmentation Patterns of Skates (Rajidae) from the Cantabrian Sea: Evidence of High Variability in Raja clavata and Implications for Species Identification.
- 1Department of Functional Biology, Genetics, University of Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
- 2Nueva Rula de Avilés, 33400 Avilés, Asturias, Spain.
Abstract
Accurate species identification is essential to assess population trends and implement effective conservation measures. Many rajid species have life-history characteristics that increase their vulnerability to fishing mortality, while their conservation status differs among species. However, species identification within the family Rajidae is hampered by morphological conservatism and intraspecific phenotypic variation, which frequently lead to misidentification in fisheries surveys and seafood markets. Here, we combine COI DNA barcoding with a detailed photographic assessment of dorsal pigmentation patterns in 484 skate specimens collected from a fish wholesaler market in the Cantabrian Sea. Seven species were genetically identified as Raja clavata, Raja montagui, Raja microocellata, Raja undulata, Raja brachyura, Leucoraja naevus, and Leucoraja circularis. Substantial overlap in pigmentation patterns was detected among genetically distinct species, while R. clavata exhibited nine distinct morphotypes, five of which have not been previously described. We further investigated whether R. maderensis individuals display dorsal patterns distinct from those of R. clavata. Notably, a dark-crossbar pattern, previously unreported in R. montagui, was recorded in this species. Moreover, an unusually extreme case of hypomelanosis in R. microocellata is also discussed. Together, these findings demonstrate that dorsal pigmentation alone in processed individuals is insufficient for reliable species discrimination in skates and highlights the need to integrate molecular tools into fisheries monitoring and biodiversity assessments.
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BibTeX
@article{piedrafitazubillaga2026inter,
title = {{Inter- and Intraspecific Variation in Dorsal Pigmentation Patterns of Skates (Rajidae) from the Cantabrian Sea: Evidence of High Variability in Raja clavata and Implications for Species Identification.}},
author = {Clara Piedrafita-Zubillaga and Daniel A Gómez-Lobo and Isabel Gómez-Álvarez and Johanne Wauters and Pablo de la Calva-Castiñeira and Trinidad Pérez and Ángel Muñoz and Yaisel J Borrell and Laura Miralles},
journal = {Biology},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/biology15191698},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883371},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Inter- and Intraspecific Variation in Dorsal Pigmentation Patterns of Skates (Rajidae) from the Cantabrian Sea: Evidence of High Variability in Raja clavata and Implications for Species Identification.
AU - Clara Piedrafita-Zubillaga
AU - Daniel A Gómez-Lobo
AU - Isabel Gómez-Álvarez
AU - Johanne Wauters
AU - Pablo de la Calva-Castiñeira
AU - Trinidad Pérez
AU - Ángel Muñoz
AU - Yaisel J Borrell
AU - Laura Miralles
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/23
JO - Biology
DO - 10.3390/biology15191698
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883371
AB - Accurate species identification is essential to assess population trends and implement effective conservation measures. Many rajid species have life-history characteristics that increase their vulnerability to fishing mortality, while their conservation status differs among species. However, species identification within the family Rajidae is hampered by morphological conservatism and intraspecific phenotypic variation, which frequently lead to misidentification in fisheries surveys and seafood markets. Here, we combine COI DNA barcoding with a detailed photographic assessment of dorsal pigmentation patterns in 484 skate specimens collected from a fish wholesaler market in the Cantabrian Sea. Seven species were genetically identified as Raja clavata, Raja montagui, Raja microocellata, Raja undulata, Raja brachyura, Leucoraja naevus, and Leucoraja circularis. Substantial overlap in pigmentation patterns was detected among genetically distinct species, while R. clavata exhibited nine distinct morphotypes, five of which have not been previously described. We further investigated whether R. maderensis individuals display dorsal patterns distinct from those of R. clavata. Notably, a dark-crossbar pattern, previously unreported in R. montagui, was recorded in this species. Moreover, an unusually extreme case of hypomelanosis in R. microocellata is also discussed. Together, these findings demonstrate that dorsal pigmentation alone in processed individuals is insufficient for reliable species discrimination in skates and highlights the need to integrate molecular tools into fisheries monitoring and biodiversity assessments.
SN - 2079-7737
ER -