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Project Noah Nature School
Raja binoculata-Chondrichthyes
Very large rectangle shaped strong leathery egg case,beige to brown or black colored.Tendrils extend in a narrow single strand from each side at the outer ends of the protective egg case.
Pacific ocean
This Skate egg case is one of several we found while walking and beach combing along the Pacific Ocean during the spring and summers. I saved this one in the freezer at home. Then I had the wonderful opportunity to ask Karen Matsumoto, Marine Science Education Coordinator of Seattle Aquarium. She sent the info to a shark biologist. Here is a response I received from Jeff Christiansen,shark biologist: It is most likely a Big Skate egg case Raja binoculata. The horns were probably eroded off in the surf. The white bacterial mat is usually evident on non fertile cases that start to decay. There can be from two to seven embryos in the case. The average number is three and they take almost a full year to hatch out. As the case decayed it may have become buoyant and the then could be washed ashore. Jeff Christiansen Biologist, DSO Seattle Aquarium
Spotted on Jun 20, 2008
Submitted on Jun 13, 2013
2 Comments
This is so neat ... thanks for posting.
Interesting spotting and information!