Description: This large skate reaches a maximum size of 2.85 m wing tip to wing tip, and can weigh up to 113 kg. It has a long, pointed snout and a long tail. When young they are an olive-green to dark brown colour with some lighter spots, maturing to a solid grey-brown in adult skates. The underside is light grey to white in colour when mature, with younger skate being darker underneath.

Habitat: Prefer coastal waters with soft sandy sediment or gravel. Can occasionally be found in relatively shallow water (around 20 m) but much more commonly at 600 m, sometimes being recorded from depths down to 2000 m, on the continental shelf

Distribution: Scattered records from all around Britain and Ireland. D. intermedius is generally found in northern areas when compared to D. batis. All records of Dipturus batis in Northern Ireland should now be considered D. intermedius.

Similar Species: Could be confused with D. batis, but all inshore records in Northern Ireland should be considered to be D. intermedius.

Distribution Map from NBN: Dipturus intermedius at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Dipturus intermedius at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Dipturus intermedius

WoRMS: Dipturus intermedius at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Dipturus intermedius (Parnell, 1837). AphiaID: 711846.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Chordata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Chondrichthyes; Elasmobranchii; Neoselachii; Batoidea; Rajiformes; Rajidae; Dipturus