Head to head
Spotted Ray vs Cuckoo Ray
Spotted Ray
VS Cuckoo Ray
The spotted ray and the cuckoo ray are two small rays that anglers and trawler crews regularly catch around Britain and Ireland, and both are marked with dark patterns.
| Spotted Ray | Cuckoo Ray | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Raja montagui | Leucoraja naevus |
| Relationship | A small ray of the shelf seas | A small ray of the shelf and upper slope |
| Pattern | A sandy to yellowish-brown back covered in many small dark spots, with a rounded dark patch on each wing | A buff to brownish back with dark flecks and a large, dark, ringed eye spot on each wing |
| Size | Usually around 60 to 80 cm long, with a short, rounded snout | Usually around 50 to 70 cm long, weighing only a couple of kilograms |
| Skin | A diamond-shaped body with a row of thorns along the middle of the back | Small, sharp prickles over its back and tail, and rows of larger thorns along the tail |
| Habitat | Sand, gravel, and mud of the shelf seas around Britain and Ireland | Sandy and muddy bottoms of the continental shelf and upper slope, usually in deeper water |
| Egg cases | Rectangular cases with a horn at each corner | Cases with a horn at each corner, laid on the sea bed |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, widespread and relatively common | Least Concern, widespread and common on the continental shelf |
Spotted Ray vs Cuckoo Ray: common questions
How can you tell a spotted ray from a cuckoo ray?
The spotted ray is covered with many small dark spots, while the cuckoo ray has a large, dark, ringed eye spot on each wing.
Which one lives in deeper water?
The cuckoo ray, which lives on the continental shelf and upper slope, usually in deeper water than the spotted ray.
Are both threatened?
No, both are Least Concern, though both are caught as bycatch and managed with catch limits.