Geographical distribution
Found in the eastern Atlantic, including from Iceland and Norway to African coasts, and in the North Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea according to DORIS.
- Documented presence : Eastern Atlantic
- Documented presence : North Sea
- Documented presence : Mediterranean Sea
- Documented presence : Black Sea
Documented areas, not an exhaustive list. Presence in a region does not imply presence in every water body or permission to fish.
Distribution sources
- DORIS / FFESSM — Raja clavata, répartition géographique · accessed on
Identification
Tail with irregular light and dark bands; variable markings and dorsal bucklers mainly in adults. Males, females and juveniles have different markings: also use the bucklers and tail bands, not colour alone.
Habitat
Coastal sand, gravel or mud bottoms. Soft seabeds near the coast are documented; a substrate chart guarantees neither presence nor fishing rights.
Diet
Small bottom-dwelling fish, molluscs and crustaceans; young fish also eat worms.
Behaviour
It ambushes prey and often camouflages itself partly buried, especially by day. Ambush feeding and partly buried camouflage explain its association with the seabed without establishing a universal biting time.
Indicative biological size
About 85 cm total length according to the common length reported by FishBase.
Fishing context and precautions
Guillaume Fourrier specifically describes a running bottom rig for thornback ray: a sliding weight, bead, swivel, then snood and hook. His rig uses a mackerel section hooked through the centre of the back to limit spinning in the current. Present it near the seabed with a weight compatible with the rod and current, then watch the line; this adaptation sets no universal dimensions.
Ashley Hayden’s Irish account also describes a thornback caught during a multi-species session using mackerel- and squid-baited lines. These accounts remain indicative and conditional on French rules. Prepare support and unhooking before lowering the rig; this method is not transferred to undulate ray.
A distinctive feature
The large broad-based thorns, known as bucklers, explain its French name.
Sources and review
Each reference includes its access date. Overall editorial review: . Local conditions and regulations may change.
- DORIS / FFESSM — Raie bouclée · accessed on
- FishBase — Raja clavata · accessed on
- Guillaume Fourrier / Peche.com — Montage avec un tronçon de maquereau pour pêcher la raie au poser · accessed on
- Inland Fisheries Ireland — Shannon Sea Angling Guide, 2016 · accessed on
- DIRM Sud-Atlantique — Campagne de marquage des raies en Atlantique et en Manche · accessed on
- Service Public — Pêche de loisir en mer · accessed on
- Inland Fisheries Ireland — Catch and release for sharks, skates and rays (12 juillet 2017) · accessed on
- Inland Fisheries Ireland — Sea Fish species, rubrique Ray (17 avril 2018) · accessed on
- Inland Fisheries Ireland — Ashley Hayden, Bites were slow around Wicklow (30 mai 2012) · accessed on