New Jersey Scuba Diving

Clearnose Skate

Raja eglanteria

Size: to 31" long

Habitat: Soft sandy bottoms, in depths from shallows to 300 ft.

Notes:
The Clearnose Skate has a noticeably pointy nose compared to the Little Skate, with a semi-transparent patch on either side of the snout.

Note the more pointed snout than the Little Skate.

Fishes of the Gulf of Maine

Skates & Rays

Skates and rays are related to sharks. Unlike flounders, these fish are flattened and lie on their bellies. Skates are harmless. Stingrays have one or more dangerous barbed stingers in the tail and will use them if molested. Finally, the Torpedo is an electric fish and can generate enough voltage to be dangerous. Some skates give birth to live young, while others lay their eggs encased in a horned Mermaid's Purse.

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Tropical Fishes

Yes, New Jersey even gets some tropicals. These are babies, born on the coral reefs of the Caribbean, and swept north in the Gulf Stream. Unlike in the Caribbean, capturing these fish for your aquarium is perfectly legal, and is actually doing them a favor, since otherwise, they will only survive until the winter cold kills them. Almost any tropical fish can end up here, these are just some examples, although these are by far the most common.

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