# Skates or Rays?



## eaglesfanguy (May 1, 2003)

I keep hearing of everyone catching skates and stingrays.Are we lacking fish identification skills or there that many skates out there?Usually this time of year the Cownose rays come out and play.They are not skates.The Cownose ray is the fat ,usually orange or brownish colored ray.They invade the bay in may till october.They are smooth and lack a stinger,just a whip like tail.Actually kind of a cute annoyance.
Skates are usually in the late summer earlyfall.They are the spiny skinny ones usually no mre then a few pounds, grayish whits in appearance.And the stingrays are The Great southern stingray.They are of all sizes and can get to over 100 lbs.They are usually a dark gray to light gray ,have a large stinger in the middle to end of the tail whip.
One footnote.They Cownose ray,His wings are quite good,Taste like scallops.The others are worthless other then to bend the rod for a few minutes.
So hopefully we get some clarity on Rays or Skates.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

*Sorry to split hairs*

but th cownose do have a barb, its just up by th base of th tail.


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## Puffington (Feb 5, 2004)

Hope this helps...

There are still many skates out and about in VA but the cownose rays (with funny-looking stumpy noses) are well on the way. I was in NC this weekend and the cownose rays were nearly the only type I saw down there.

Here in VA I am still seeing clear-nose skates (they have a see-through nose and are brown-grey in color) The cownose rays have pointy wings while most skates have more rounded ones. 

www.chesapeakebay.net/info/cownose_ray.cfm 

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/ClearnoseSkate/ClearnoseSkate.html

The cownose rays looked amazing traveling in tight schools of 7-12 like a flock of birds but more graceful! Each turn looked choreagraphed. It's a shame the NC locals and pier staff were so rude and unhospitable. I will not be visiting them for quite a while regardless of how good the fishing is down there.  

~splash!~


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## nakedgoby (Jun 16, 2004)

Actually, you can call them whatever you want. Take croakers for example. Some people call them hardheads, some croaker. Who right? They both are. Same with skates and rays. Common names. That why scientist created scientific names so that they wouldn't have the same confusion that us fishermen have.

Heres one for you. Sea mullet. I know what a mullet is. Mullet are bait fish. There are stiped mullet and white mullet. But in carolina they call a kingfish a sea mullet. And here they call them roundheads. Who's right?


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

nakedgoby you can call them what you want but in many cases you would be plain wrong. These animals called Skates and Rays are different and are classified that way. Yes they have some similar features but the differ enough for a different classification. Rays are smoothe, skates are course with lots of little bump with tiny projections, but no barb like most of they rays have. If you go to Peterson's books they explain this and list the different local names just like they do with the Kingfish you were describing.


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## TC (Oct 21, 2002)

Hey to all,
Personally, when a fish bites my whatever, and fights, and tries to pull me in the water, its good to go with me. The other day when I took my family to Damneck, I cast out one of my heavy Lynnhaven jigs, and when I raised my rod to jig the jig, I hooked a Skate in the wing. Man did that thing fight. I like the little fellows, they are harmless and really do no harm. They are some of the first things that people catch when they are starting to fish salt water around these parts.
What I am wary of are stingrays. When I used to spear fish when I was tsationed in the Philippines, I shot one to make soup out of it. Sinigong is what they call the soup there, and it is awesome with cabbage and spices. Anyway, when I tried to get the thing off of my spear, it stung the crap out of me at 60' down a coral reef. I spent a night in the infirmary on morphine and had to see a specialist for my hand for three months. I cut my hook off when I catch one of those guys. I advise you do the same. It hurts like hell!!!!! An infection is sure to follow, and lost work days will result. Gosh that hurt!!!!
Always walk backwards or drag your feet on the bottom when you are wade fishing in waters known for a lot of stingrays, that stires the sand up and scares them away. Always wear foot protection as well when wade fishing.
Hate to see that happen to one of you great sportsmen or sportswomen out there. 
Be safe,
TC


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## nakedgoby (Jun 16, 2004)

You obviously didn't get my point and failed your grade school science classes. Next time you look in a Petersons field guide, next to the "common name" you will see a scientific name. No animal has the same scientific name. You may see a list of common names, but only one scientific name. There is generally one name that is most commonly used though. Once upon a time scientist had similiar discussions like what we are having now. They came up with a naming system so that they wouldn't have this problem. 

If you really want to get techical, Rajiformes that is the order, family is Rajidae) are typically called skates. Order Myliobatiforms are typically called rays, mantas and stingrays. Family Dasyatidae are typically called stingrays, Mobulidae are manta rays, Myliobatidae are eagle rays and cow nose rays and Gymnuridae are the butterfly rays.

Like I said, depending upon where you are, these animals have different common names. In Md where I grew up, cow-nose rays were called skates.

Hopefully I gave the right orders and families. I did this from memory.


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

I don't think people call them different names from different parts of the world. I think they call them either skates or rays because of ignorance. I was landing a clearnose skate and some dumb Canadian tourists asked if I was going to eat the flounder.

And there is no justification of killing these things for being scared of being "stung."


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