The Skate Project has been recording data on Skate egg case findings along the shorelines of Orkney as well as recording the sightings of live egg cases by local divers for several years.

Although the data is patchy from year to year reflecting variation in information received by volunteers the evidence is mounting to support claims that Orkney waters are an important breeding ground for  Skate.

It is the plan that once this data has been collated and processed all future information can be given to the Orkney Biodiversity Records Centre either direct or via the Orkney Skate Trust (OST)

 

Picture shows a typical Dipturus spp. (most likely D.intermedia) Egg Case find.  These egg cases are still wet and therefore are hydrated and at natural size.  Open to the air the egg case will dessicate and shrink to become much smaller.  The golden brown fiberous covering on the eggcase may start to peel away from the main shell. This picture shows near full covering of this fiberous layer.  The egg cases are square in shape and large incomparsion to smaller Ray species (and dogfish), typically around 200 to 240mm in length excluding horns.