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Little skates (Leucoraja erinacea) are bottom-dwelling cartilaginous fishes found across the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. They prefer sandy and gravelly environments of no deeper than 300 feet and are typically active at night, spending days buried in sediment.

Skates are close cousins of sharks and rays and are an important model organism for biological and medical research. They are cartilaginous, so unlike humans their body structure is made of cartilage instead of bone. They continue to grow that cartilage throughout their adulthood. By studying the methods behind that growth, scientists aim to learn how to stimulate cartilage growth in humans.

Did you know that skate egg cases are commonly called “Mermaid’s Purses?”