With more than 17 genera and over 150 species, skate (fish) are the largest suborder of cartilaginous fish within the family Rays and Skates. Unlike other rays, which are ovoviparous and live-bearing, they lay rectangular eggs popularly called “mermaid’s purses.“ They resemble other species of rays with their flat body shape, flat pectoral fins that extend the length of their bodies, and mouths located on the underside of their bodies. They are benthic feeders that spend most of their time camouflaged on the sea floor and can be distinguished from other rays by their round to diamond-shaped shape, their pointed “noses,“ and two dorsal fins on their tails.

With an abundant population and wide distribution, they are commonly sighted amongst scuba divers. In fact, skates can be found in most parts of the world from the warm tropical waters circling the equator to near-Arctic waters of the northern hemisphere, and live in both shallow and extremely deep areas of the ocean. Want to go diving with skates? Explore the map below for the most popular dive sites where they have been encountered.