Common Skate

Dentiraja australis

Sharks and rays
IUCN: Near threatened

Usual depth75–390 m
Water temperature8–28 °C
Best monthsMarch, May, and October
How commonOccasional

All species

About this species

The Sydney skate is a species of skate of the family Rajidae native to waters off the east coast of Australia.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Sydney skate”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 0 records
February: 75 records
March: 82 records
April: 80 records
May: 90 records
June: 77 records
July: 61 records
August: 44 records
September: 63 records
October: 92 records
November: 77 records
December: 65 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 75–390 m · Deepest record: 1,000 m

40–50 m: 5 records
50–60 m: 17 records
60–70 m: 44 records
70–80 m: 66 records
80–90 m: 35 records
90–100 m: 60 records
100–110 m: 67 records
110–120 m: 30 records
120–130 m: 144 records
130–140 m: 76 records
140–150 m: 173 records
150+ m: 274 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 8–28 °C

6–8 °C: 25 records
8–10 °C: 11 records
10–12 °C: 33 records
12–14 °C: 63 records
14–16 °C: 62 records
16–18 °C: 13 records
18–20 °C: 163 records
20–22 °C: 494 records
22–24 °C: 31 records
24–26 °C: 0 records
26–28 °C: 0 records
28–30 °C: 1 records

Names and classification

English: Common Skate, Pommy Skate, Skate, Sydney Skate

Other scientific names: Dipturus australis, Okamejei australis, Raia australis, Raja australis

Similar species

Longnose Skate
Dentiraja confusa
Hind Skate
Dentiraja cerva
Australian Thornback Skate
Dentiraja lemprieri
Eye Skate
Dentiraja falloargus
Pygmy Thornback Skate
Dentiraja flindersi
Heald's Skate
Dentiraja healdi

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
1,083 open-data records from 1898 to 2006.
Species data updated November 2, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist