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The little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) is a cartilaginous fish found across the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. It is a close cousin of sharks and rays and is an important model organism for biological and medical research. MBL scientists use skates and their embryos to study skeletal development. By shining a light through egg cases, scientists can watch the entire maturation process. Unlike other fishes, skates, sharks and rays have small cartilaginous appendages that support their gills. MBL researchers think that the fins of fishes and the limbs in humans may have originally evolved from gill appendages like the ones found in the skate.

Fun Facts:

• Unlike humans and other mammals, skate skeletons are made entirely of cartilage and they continue to grow that cartilage throughout adulthood.
• Females skates can store sperm for up to 9 months, enabling them to lay eggs throughout the year.
• An egg case where a skate embryo develops is commonly called a “mermaid’s purse.”