Page: 061: Element Cycling

046: Deep-Sea Rays and Skates with Will White

May 3rd, 2024

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This month we're talking about the flattest of the elasmobranchs: the bottom-dwelling batoids - the deep sea rays and skates!

We’re kicking off our cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes) mini-series with the batoids - the rays and skates! Sharks are often associated with the deep sea, but did you know that batoids have been observed as deep as 3000m?

We speak with Dr Will White who researches elasmobranchs across the world and who has described 50 species! He talks us through the differences between sharks rays and skates, and how these species utilise the deep sea.

Image sourced from Lucille Chapuis & Shaun P Collin (2022), The auditory system of cartilaginous fishes

We hear about their fascinating (and hugely varied) reproductive strategies like those that are viviparous (will keep the eggs in their uterus) and others that are oviparous (will lay the eggs).

It wouldn’t be a Coffee with Andrew segment without an memorable insight into the world of a fish curator - and this month’s segment is no different! This time, Dr Thom asks Andrew about an unexpected factoid in one of Andrew’s publications: ‘Yolk smells and tastes like sweetened condensed milk’. We find out exactly how Andrew knows this.

We’re really trying to make this project self-sustaining so we have started looking for ways to support the podcast. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us: