Maltese ray
Leucoraja melitensis (Clark, 1926)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Maltese skate (Leucoraja melitensis), or Maltese ray, is a species of cartilaginous fish belonging to the family Rajidae. It is one of three rare endemic skate species originating from the Mediterranean Sea. As a demersal (bottom-dwelling) species, it inhabits the seafloor, which makes it highly prone to becoming bycatch during commercial fishing. Bycatch, also known as when non-target marine species are caught unintentionally, poses a serious threat to the Maltese skate and is responsible for its status under the imminent threat of extinction.
Wikipedia contributors, Maltese skate; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:54:22.110467+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Leucoraja melitensis (Clark, 1926)
- Name authority
- (Clark, 1926)
- Common name
- Maltese ray
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Elasmobranchii
- Order
- Rajiformes
- Family
- Rajidae
- Genus
- Leucoraja
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumChondrichthyes
- classElasmobranchii
- subclassNeoselachii
- infraclassBatoidea
- orderRajiformes Berg, 1940
- familyRajidae de Blainville, 1816
- genusLeucoraja Malm, 1877
- speciesLeucoraja melitensis (Clark, 1926)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Leucoraja. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| sandy rayLeucoraja circularis (Couch, 1838) | RajidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Leucoraja compagnoi (Stehmann, 1995) | RajidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Leucoraja yucatanensis (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1950) | RajidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Leucoraja longirostris Weigmann, Stehmann, Séret & Ishihara, 2024 | RajidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Raja melitensis Clark, 1926 Clark, 1926 | synonym |
| Raia melitensis Clark, 1926 Clark, 1926 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=105875 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6Q69K. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.