The waters around the South Western Approaches support almost every kind of ray and skate found in the North East Atlantic.
The fish were were once seen on every fish and chip shop board often sold as skate.
They landed mainly by beam trawlers and inshore trawlers.
Distributed across North Eastern Atlantic waters from western North Africa to the British Isles and throughout the Mediterranean, the cuckoo ray (Leucoraja naevus) is common in the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and northern North Sea. It is rarely encountered in the eastern English Channel and southern North Sea. The cuckoo ray inhabits gravel and coarse sand seabeds and is typically found further offshore than other species of skate, such as the thornback and spotted ray, at depths ranging from 30 to 200 m.Juvenile
cuckoo rays feed on small crustaceans and polychaete worms whilst adults target
bony fish such as gobies and sand eels
The cuckoo ray is able to feed on small crustaceans and worms, and sometimes fish using the crushing plates that replace teeth in its mouth. Young cuckoo rays are more commonly found further offshore, whereas adults are often found close to shore. The cuckoo ray lays between 70 to 150 eggs per year. These eggs are commonly called ‘mermaid’s purses’ and empty ones can be found washed up along the shore line.
Although it is commonly called the cuckoo ray, it is actually a species of skate (sometimes known as the cuckoo skate). Skates and rays are closely related and look similar, but you can spot the difference by looking at the tail. Skates have a short tail with small fins and no stinging capabilities, whereas rays have a long whip-like tail.
The fish average around the £3.00 per kilo at auction - on a good market, the largest grade of cukoo ray can make over £7.00.