Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Rajiformes
(Skates and rays) > Rajidae
Etymology: Rajella: Latin, raja, -ae = a sting ray (Raja sp.) (Ref. 45335); challengeri: Named for FRV Challenger, used to survey the deepwater demersal fish resources of Tasmania in the 1980s..
More on authors: Last & Stehmann.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 860 - 1500 m (Ref. 114953). Tropical; 32°S - 45°S, 130°E - 154°E (Ref. 114953)
Eastern Indian Ocean and Southwest Pacific: New South Wales to Great Australian Bight (Australia) (Ref. 114953).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 56.1 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 75644)
A benthic species on continental slope (Ref. 114953). Observed to be still a juvenile at 49.5 cm TL, smallest at 16.7 cm TL, adult males 52.1-56.1 cm TL (Ref. 75644).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Last, P.R. and M.F.W. Stehmann, 2008. Rajella challengeri sp. nov., a new deepwater skate from southern Australia. pp. 135-144. In Last, P.R., W.T. White, J.J. Pogonoski and D.C. Gledhill (eds.): Descriptions of new Australian skates (Batoidea: Rajoidei) pg. 135-144. CSIRO marine and atmospheric research paper no. 021. (Ref. 75644)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 125652)
Threat to humans
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningSpawning aggregationFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingNutrientsMass conversion
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969
): 2 - 5, mean 4.3 °C (based on 39 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00302 (0.00143 - 0.00636), b=3.23 (3.06 - 3.40), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Subfamily-BS (Ref. 93245
Trophic level (Ref. 69278
): 3.6 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref. 120179
): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Moderate vulnerability (42 of 100) .
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649
): (0 of 100) .