''Rhinoptera marginata'', the Lusitanian cownose ray, is a species of ray found along the western coast of Africa and

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

. It is apparently rare in the Mediterranean Sea, but is common in shallow waters off the western Africa. In February 2024, the species was added to the appendices of the

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention, is an international agreement that aims to conserve migratory species throughout their r ...

, with the species added to Appendix II, and the

population of the same species added to Appendix I.

Description

Its maximum width is .

Distribution

It is found in the eastern Atlantic from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

to the

Central Africa Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries accordin ...

n coast and in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.Guide of Mediterranean Skates and Rays (''Rhinoptera marginata''). Oct. 2022. Mendez L., Bacquet A. and F. Briand.http://www.ciesm.org/Guide/skatesandrays/rhinoptera-marginata

Life cycle

They exhibit

ovoviviparity Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop inside eggs that r ...

(aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding initially on yolk, then receiving additional nourishment from the mother by indirect absorption of uterine fluid enriched with mucus, fat or protein through specialised structures.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5030552 Rhinoptera Fish of the Mediterranean Sea Marine fish of North Africa Fish described in 1817 Taxa named by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire