taxonID	type	description	language	source
03E52745D7353811FFBB4C7CFB73F8C8.taxon	discussion	Remarks: Originally described from off Panama, this species has subsequently been reported from the ENP, north to the Bering Sea and westward to Japanese waters (Ebert, 2003). This is the only ENP species for which we have been unable to positively identify egg cases. Garman (1899) noted two egg cases that were dredged up during the Albatross expedition of 1891, the same expedition in which the holotype of A. badia was collected. However, the egg cases were collected at a different, although nearby, location from where the A. badia was caught. Therefore, it is uncertain whether these egg cases belong to that species. The egg cases were described by Garman (1899) as “ covered with fine villi or pile, in longitudinal series, though harsh to the touch gives the appearance of a soft rich black velvet ”. We attempted to locate these egg cases that were accessioned at the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ 1009 and 1010), Harvard University for further examination, but they appear to have been lost (Ann Holmes, curator, MCZ, pers. comm.).	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7353810FFBB4E29FDA2FD28.taxon	description	Description: The egg cases of Bathyraja abyssicola (Figure 2) are large, 108 to 111 mm in length, with MAW about 67 – 69 % of ECL. Egg case surface texture coarse and very rough to the touch, striated, the surface is irregular and with rasp­like denticles. LKW is very narrow, <5 % of MAW and with a distinct groove between the lateral keel and case proper. This groove is not present in any other ENP skate egg case. Lateral keels extend onto horns and are also present on inner horns. Anterior apron border of egg case broad and concave, anterior horns more robust than posteriors at base, becoming flattened and thread­like at tips. Posterior apron is nearly straight, broad, and transverse, about 10 mm wider than anterior apron. Posterior horns long, about two times length of anteriors and about 1.2 times ECL, curved inwards, each tapering to a thread­like tip. Attachment fibers present, originating on lateral keel near the junction of exterior base of posterior horns and case. Egg cases removed from a single specimen was a light golden brown in color.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7353810FFBB4E29FDA2FD28.taxon	discussion	Remarks: Bathyraja abyssicola is a large, deepwater species usually found on the continental slope between 362 and 2906 m, although most records of its capture have come from> 1,000 m deep (Zorzi & Anderson, 1988). It is considered to be a rare species, but recent deepwater surveys along the ENP continental slope have revealed this skate to be more common than previously thought (unpublished data). To the best of our knowledge this is the first confirmed record and description of the egg case of this species.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7353810FFBB4E29FDA2FD28.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: CAS 224336, 141.0 cm TL, west of Alexander Island, Washington (47.4935 N, ­ 125.5185 W), 1428 m, 24 August 2004.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7343817FFBB4E44FED8FDD0.taxon	description	Description: The egg cases of Bathyraja aleutica (Figure 3) are very large,> 120 mm in length, with MAW about 73 – 76 % of ECL. Egg case surface very coarse, striated, and with long anteriorly directed prickles giving it a velvety texture. Lateral keels very narrow, about 6 – 7 % of MAW. Attachment fibers present, originating near base of posterior horns. Anterior apron border broad and concave, similar in width to the posterior. Anterior horns relatively short, about 60 – 80 % of ECL, curved inwards, tapering towards tips, becoming thin and filamentous. Posterior apron straight, broad, transverse, posterior horns longer than anteriors and about 90 % or more length of egg case, tapering towards tips with tendrils coiling towards filamentous tips. Color after preservation a golden brown, lighter along lateral keels.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7343817FFBB4E44FED8FDD0.taxon	discussion	Remarks: A common species in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska its southern range is now known to extend into northern California (Hoff, 2002; Ebert, 2003).	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7343817FFBB4E44FED8FDD0.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: CAS 224337, 138.0 cm TL, eastern Bering Sea (56.1972 N, 169.7457 W), 242 m, 17 June 2002; MLML uncatalogued, 136.0 cm TL, eastern Bering Sea (60.3806 N, ­ 178.6524 W), 295 m, 29 June 2002; MLML uncatalogued, 134.9.0 cm TL, eastern Bering Sea (60.3806 N, ­ 178.6524 W), 295 m, 29 June 2002.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7333816FFBB4F24FD3BFC48.taxon	description	Description: The egg cases of Bathyraja kincaidii (Figure 4) are very small, 50 to 66 mm in length, with MAW about 76 – 91 % of ECL. Egg case dorsal surface covered with thin layer of fine fibers, ventral surface with either a very thin fibrous layer or without. Surface of egg case beneath fibrous layer finely striated with longitudinal rows and smooth to the touch. LKW very broad, about 14 – 19 % of MAW, and extending length of case including outer edge of horns; a keel is present along inner edge of the posterior horns, but absent on anterior horns. Attachment fibers present along entire edge of lateral keels. Anterior apron border broad, concave; anterior horns about 50 – 80 % ECL, and flattening towards tips becoming thread­like. Anterior horns curve perpendicular to dorsal aspect of egg case and hooking rearward. Posterior apron border broad, nearly straight, transverse, about 3 – 9 mm wider than anterior apron. Posterior horns moderately long, length similar to ECL, curved inward to median aspect of egg case, flattening toward tips, and becoming thread­like. Egg cases from preserved specimens range from a light to dark brown except for lateral keels which are usually lighter brown to gold colored.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7333816FFBB4F24FD3BFC48.taxon	discussion	Remarks: The egg case described and depicted by Cox (1963) for this species appears to be consistent with our findings in that it is a small egg case, nearly as wide as long, has attachment fibers present, and prominent lateral keels. Our description differs in that we found the egg cases of B. kincaidii to be smooth to the touch while Cox (1963) described the surface texture as moderately rough. Since we do not know the location of where those egg cases were collected or their eventual deposition we are unable to directly compare our egg cases with those of Cox (1963). It may be that the slight differences we observed in our samples are within the normal range of variability. Bathyraja kincaidii, however, may represent a species complex of two or more distinct, sympatrically occurring species ranging between the Gulf of Alaska and California. Therefore, careful examination of egg cases from throughout this region may help elucidate this question.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7333816FFBB4F24FD3BFC48.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: CAS 224339, 48.2 cm TL, off Davenport, California (ca 36.5368 N, ­ 122.1445 W), 170 m, 3 August 2002; MLML BK 0209 ­ 6, 50.1 cm TL, off Davenport, California, (ca 36.5368 N, ­ 122.1445 W), 181 m, 21 September 2002; MLML BK 0210 ­ 7: 50.0 cm TL, off Davenport, California (ca 36.5596 N, ­ 122.2220 W), 311 m, 24 October 2003; MLML BK 121503 ­ 4 ­ 1, 53.5 cm TL, off central Oregon (45.7385 N, ­ 124.3820 W), 153 m, 13 September 2003; MLML BK 102403 ­ 02 ­ 3, 56.9 cm TL, off northern California (40.2276 N, ­ 124.5422 W), 360 m, 5 October 2003.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7323815FFBB4E4CFE84FC18.taxon	description	Description: The egg cases of Bathyraja microtrachys (Figure 5) are small, 79 to 81 mm in length, with MAW about 63 – 64 % of ECL. The egg case surface is coarsely striated, with irregular rasp­like denticles, making its texture very rough to the touch. LKW is very narrow, <5 % of MAW and not extending onto horns. Anterior apron border of egg case broad, deeply concave, anterior horns robust at base, but flattening towards tips and becoming thread­like, tips curving dorsally and back towards egg case. Posterior apron is nearly straight, broad, and transverse, width similar to anterior. Posterior horns robust at base, very long, about 66 % length of anteriors and about 1.1 times ECL, curved inwards, each tapering to a thread­like tip. Attachment fibers present, extending length of lateral keel. Egg cases removed from a single preserved specimen were a dark golden brown.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7323815FFBB4E4CFE84FC18.taxon	discussion	Remarks: This is the first confirmed record, and description, of the egg case of this species. The egg cases described here were removed in utero from a 62.8 cm TL specimen (SIO 8780). Cox (1963: Figure 7) suggested that the egg case he described and illustrated as B. trachura may eventually prove to be this species. However, the term embryo that was removed from that egg case (CAS 25617), and described below, appear to be that of B. spinossisima (Ebert, 2005). Until recently this species had been considered a synonym of B. trachura (Ebert, 2003). However, examination of the holotypes of B. microtrachys and B. trachura by the senior author, plus additional material confirm that these species are distinct. To further separate these two species their egg cases can be used to distinguish them from each other. The egg case of B. microtrachys differs from that of B. trachura in that the former has very narrow lateral keels and a coarsely striated surface texture that is rough to the touch, while the latter has very broad lateral keels and is smooth to the touch. Bathyraja microtrachys is one of the deepest occurring skate species, known to occur down to at least 3,100 m (unpublished data). The shallowest record of this species is the holotype known from 1,995 m. All other records of it have come from depths greater than 2,000 m.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D7323815FFBB4E4CFE84FC18.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: SIO 8780, 62.8 cm TL, off Waldport, Oregon (44.4130 N, ­ 125.3410 W), 2850 m, 6 February 1987.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D730381BFFBB49DEFB35FEC8.taxon	description	Description: The egg case of Bathyraja spinossisima (Figure 6) is large, about 92 mm in length excluding horns, with MAW of 73 % ECL. The surface is weakly striated, with both dorsal and ventral surfaces being plush to the touch. LKW is very narrow, about 3 % of ECL, and extending onto horns. Attachment fibers are absent. Anterior apron broadly concaved, curving perpendicular from horizontal plane of egg case, and narrowing at tips. Posterior apron about 7 mm wider than anterior, nearly straight, broad, and transverse. Posterior horns about two­thirds ECL, curved inwards, and narrowing to tips. Egg case color after preservation is a uniform plum brown.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D730381BFFBB49DEFB35FEC8.taxon	discussion	Remarks: A single egg case originally identified by Follett (1952: Figure 1) as that of Bathyraja trachura based on a near term embryo found inside was subsequently described by Cox (1963). This egg case has also been inaccurately illustrated in the literature as being that of B. trachura (Eschmeyer et al., 1983; Mecklenberg et al., 2002; Ebert, 2003). However, Ebert (2005) examined this egg case and embryo (CAS 25617), and compared it with egg cases removed in utero from B. trachura, and concluded that the embryo fit that of the holotype of B. spinossisima. Miller and Lea (1972) first reported the occurrence of B. spinossisma from the ENP based on this specimen, but without explanation, only giving the museum catalogue number where it is deposited. At the time Follett (1952) and Cox (1963) identified this egg case as B. trachura, B. spinossisima had not been reported from the ENP. The holotype of B. spinossisima is an embryo that had been removed from an egg case collected in very deepwater off Panama. Interestingly, a pair of egg cases also collected off Panama, in very deepwater, by Garman (1899) in some aspects appears to fit the description of this species. Unfortunately, the egg case for the holotype of B. spinossisima and Garman’s egg cases have been lost.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D730381BFFBB49DEFB35FEC8.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: CAS 25617, egg case with embryo present, Mulberry Seamount, 78 km west of Point Montara, central California (37.2630 N, ­ 123.2842 W), 1400 to 2000 m, 8 February 1950.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73F381AFFBB4816FD9DFD88.taxon	description	Description: The egg cases of Bathyraja trachura (Figure 7) are small, 62 to 78 mm in length, with MAW about 77 – 97 % of ECL. Egg case surfaces with prominent longitudinal striations and smooth to the touch. LKW very broad, striated, about 15 – 20 % of MAW, and extending length of case including outer edge of horns; an inner keel is present along edge of both anterior and posterior horns. Attachment fibers present along lateral keels, originating about outer base of posterior horns. Anterior apron border broad and concave, anterior horns about one­half ECL, horns curved inwards toward median plane of egg case, tips curling towards ventral aspect of egg case, and flattening towards tips. Posterior apron nearly straight, broad, transverse, and up to 7 mm wider than posterior apron. Posterior horn length variable, 0.8 to 1.4 times ECL, horns curved inwards to median plane of egg case, and flattening towards tips. A distinct crossbar originating midway along posterior horns was present on six of nine egg case pairs. One pair had evidence of an incompletely formed crossbar and two had no evidence. This crossbar is unique among ENP skates. Color after preservation a dark brown becoming a light golden brown on keels.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73F381AFFBB4816FD9DFD88.taxon	discussion	Remarks: Ebert (2005) described the egg case of this species, based on material from the eastern Bering Sea, and commented that the egg case described and figured by Cox (1963) as B. trachura was not that species. The egg case figured by Cox (1963: Figure 5), and captioned as Raja stellulata, is actually that of B. trachura. The posterior horns on some B. trachura egg cases, 75 % in this study, have a unique crossbar that is not present on any of the other skate egg cases that we have examined from this region (Figure 7). In some instances the crossbar was broken or missing. Whether the crossbar remains intact, or for how long, once the egg case is deposited on the seafloor is unknown as we did not obtain any egg cases of this species in situ.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73F381AFFBB4816FD9DFD88.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: CAS 224340, 79.1 cm TL, off central Oregon (45.3862 N, ­ 125.5707 W) 924 m, 3 September 2004; MLML BT 100804 ­ 1 ­ 6, 86.5 cm TL, off central Oregon (45.3862 N, ­ 125.5771 W), 929 m, 3 September 2004; MLML BT 110504 ­ 2 ­ 3, 66.3 cm TL, off northern California (37.0453 N, ­ 120.3272 W), 1101 m, 12 October 2004; MLML BT 031105 ­ 04, 789 mm TL, off northern California (38.5142 N, ­ 122.6890 W), 320 m, 17 February 2005; MLML BT 011205 ­ 19, 78.7 cm TL, off central California (36.2502 N, ­ 122.0718 W), 366 m, 6 January 2005.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73E3819FFBB4F15FDADFCF8.taxon	description	Description: The egg cases of Raja binoculata (Figure 8) are perhaps the most distinctive skate egg case found in the ENP. The dorsal surface is convex with two prominent ridges; no other known ENP skate egg case has these ridges. These are very large egg cases, 210 to 280 mm in length from anterior to posterior apron borders, with a MAW about 52 % of ECL. Egg case surface very smooth, without striations or fibrous covering. Under magnification the surface appears smooth and without striations. LKW very broad, about 30 – 33 % of MAW, narrowing to about 4 – 6 % at MIW, and extending length of egg case including outer edge of horns; keels also along inner edge of horns. Attachment fibers not present. Anterior apron border broad, slightly concave, fraying along edge, anterior horns about 28 – 30 % of ECL, curving dorsally, with tips flattening and curling toward egg case. Posterior apron broad, transverse, and fraying at edge, its width less than that of anterior. Posterior horns short, stout, about 32 – 38 % ECL, horn base width about 24 % of horn length; horns curved, and flattening towards tips. Lateral keels extend beyond horn length. Color of egg case after preservation a dark brown to greenish brown.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73E3819FFBB4F15FDADFCF8.taxon	discussion	Remarks: The egg case of R. binoculata is perhaps the largest egg case of any known skate species, with a maximum known length, excluding horns, exceeding 300 mm (Hitz, 1964). Raja binoculata is the only skate species, except for R. pulchra Liu, 1932, known to have multiple embryos per egg case. These skates may have 2 – 7 embryos, with an average of 3 – 4 per egg case (Hitz, 1964). The Japanese endemic R. pulchra is known to have 1 – 5 embryos per egg case (Ishiyama, 1958 b). Although it has not been studied in detail, increased fecundity, due to multiple oviparity, in these species may have significant conservation implications. Raja binoculata is known to produce up to 360 egg cases per year in captivity (Kevin Lewand, Monterey Bay Aquarium, pers. comm.). Assuming an average of 3.5 embryos per egg case the annual fecundity may reach 1,260 neonates, or more, making it one of the most fecund of all elasmobranchs.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73E3819FFBB4F15FDADFCF8.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: CAS 224341, northern California (38.033 N, ­ 123.1237 W), 78 m, 24 September 2004; MLML RB 102403 ­ 4 ­ 06, 146.7 cm TL, central California (36.4076 N, ­ 121.5276 W), 69 m, 22 October 2003; MLML EX 58, southern Oregon (44.311 N, ­ 124.257 W), 71 m, 4 September 2004.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73D3818FFBB4E21FB79FDA0.taxon	description	Description: The egg cases of Raja inornata (Figure 9) are very small, 68 to 73 mm in length from anterior to posterior apron borders, with MAW about 73 – 77 % of ECL. Egg case surfaces finely striated, without fibrous covering, and very smooth to the touch. LKW is very broad, about 17 – 25 % of MAW, and extending length of case including outer edge of horns; keels absent or very minute along inner horn edge. Attachment fibers not present. Anterior apron border broad, concave, anterior horns about 34 – 52 % of ECL, curling ventrally, and flattening and hook­like towards tips. Posterior apron nearly straight, broad, transverse, and about 4 – 6 mm wider than anterior apron width. Posterior horns relatively short, about one­half ECL, curved, and flattening towards tips. Preserved egg case color dark brown becoming lighter on keels.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73D3818FFBB4E21FB79FDA0.taxon	discussion	Remarks: The present description of this egg case differs from the original description by Cox (1963) in that we did not observe attachment fibers to be present in any of the specimens examined. Also, Cox (1963) did not comment on the broad lateral keels of these egg cases which we found to be a good characteristic for separating between similar looking egg cases, but from different species.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73D3818FFBB4E21FB79FDA0.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: Ten egg cases all deposited between July and August 2005 by R. inornata specimens held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Two of these egg cases accessioned as CAS 224342.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73C381FFFBB4FDDFDBEFDA0.taxon	description	Description: The egg cases of Raja rhina (Figure 10) are large, 93 to 102 mm in length, with MAW about 62 – 70 % of ECL. Egg case dorsal surface covered with dense woven­like fibers, ventral surface with either a thin fibrous layer or without. Surface of egg case beneath fibrous layer is finely striated and smooth to the touch. LKW broad, about 13 – 19 % of MAW, and extending length of case including outer edge of horns; an inner keel is present along edge of both anterior and posterior horns. Attachment fibers present along lateral keels, originating about midway along egg case. Anterior apron border broad and concave, anterior horns also about one­half ECL, and flattening towards tips, becoming thread­like. Posterior apron nearly straight, broad, transverse, and about 1 – 7 mm wider than anterior apron width. Posterior horns relatively short, about one­half ECL, curved, flattening towards tips, and becoming thread­like. Color from fresh specimens a uniform golden brown.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73C381FFFBB4FDDFDBEFDA0.taxon	discussion	Remarks: DeLacy and Chapman (1935), who first described these egg cases, found that they may range up to 130 mm in length, making it one of the larger skate egg cases found in the ENP. Although Cox (1963) stated that these egg cases were very similar to that of R. inornata we found them to be quite distinct. The egg case of R. inornata is much smaller, lacks a fibrous covering, and has a broader lateral keel, without attachment fibers, relative to the maximum egg case width.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73C381FFFBB4FDDFDBEFDA0.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: CAS 224343, 74.8 cm TL, off central California (36.4701 N, ­ 121.5312 W), 488 m, 10 December 2002; MLML RR 121602 ­ 3 ­ 11, 85.6 cm TL, off central California (36.4574 N, ­ 121.5469 W), 186 m, 16 December 2002; MLML RR 121602 ­ 1 ­ 04, 73.1 cm TL, off central California (36.4536 N, ­ 121.5382 W), 91 m, 16 December 2002.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73B381EFFBB4B8EFEA6FE68.taxon	description	Description: The egg cases of Raja stellulata (Figure 11) are large, 91 to 92 mm in length, with MAW about 66 – 70 % of ECL. The egg case is covered with dense fibers on the dorsal surface, thinner on the ventral. The outer fibrous covering appears as an intricately woven sheath with a wool­like texture. Beneath these fibers the egg case is smooth, with very fine longitudinal striations. The LKW is narrow, <10 % of ECL, and not extending onto horns. Attachment fibers are present along lateral keels. Anterior apron border broad and concave, anterior horns become flattened towards the tips and hook inwards. Posterior apron nearly straight, broad, transverse, and about 1 – 2 mm wider than anterior apron width. The posterior horns are about 5 to 6 mm longer than anteriors, curved, conical and tapering, becoming flattened, but without filamentous tips. The tips are hook­shaped at the ends. Color after preservation a uniform brown.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73B381EFFBB4B8EFEA6FE68.taxon	discussion	Remarks: The egg case of R. stellulata has not been previously described. The egg case figured by Cox (1963: figure 5) as this species is actually that of B. trachura. The egg case of R. rhina and R. stellulata are somewhat similar, but can be easily distinguished by the narrower lateral keels present on the latter. Also, the attachment fibers on R. stellulata extend the length of the lateral keels, while the fibers on R. rhina egg cases originate midway along lateral keel of egg case.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
03E52745D73B381EFFBB4B8EFEA6FE68.taxon	materials_examined	Material examined: CAS 224344, 73.2 cm TL, off Davenport, California (36.9235 N, ­ 122.2275 W), 88 m, 16 April 2004.	en	Ebert, David A., Davis, Chante D. (2007): Descriptions of skate egg cases (Chondrichthyes: Rajiformes: Rajoidei) from the eastern North Pacific. Zootaxa 1393: 1-18, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.175296
