Skate is the name of a family of rays. Skates are related to sharks. The skate may grow from 1 to 61/2 feet (0.3 to 2.0 meters) long and may weigh as much as 100 pounds (45 kilograms). It has two pairs of fins on the sides of its body. The front pair is huge and connects the body with the head. These fins have a round edge and form a disk with the body and head. The skate has a slender tail that is used as a rudder. The tail contains electric organs that help the skate locate prey. The skate eats snails, mussels, clams, crabs, and other fish. This fish makes its home on the sandy and muddy bottoms along shores or in deep water. The skate lays egg cases, often called mermaids’ purses, on these bottoms.
Some kinds of skate are sold as food. One of the best-known species is the little skate, which is found along the Atlantic Coast of North America. This skate is 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 centimeters) long. A larger skate that lives along the Atlantic Coast is the barn-door skate. The big skate is a species found along the Pacific Coast.
