South Carolina Skate or ray... Help Identify, please!

[OpusOstreae]

I work at an environmental education center in SC, and take school groups seining in the estuary. This morning, we caught a skate or ray, and would like to identify it before we release it, to add to our list of sighted species. It's about 6-8 inches from wingtip to wingtip, 4 inches from head to beginning of tail, with only 1/2 inch of tail. She's fairly rounded in shape. She's brown with tiny yellow spots (kind of mottled), with yellow spots around the edge of her body. She feels very slimy.

I'll get a picture later to post.

 

[Zoodiver]

I assume it's 'ray looking' more than say a guitarfish? Little skate or Roundel skate??

 

[Bottomfeeder]

Maybe a Winter Skate. Most common rounded Skate on the East Coast.

 

[OpusOstreae]

It's almost completely oblong, and "ray-looking"- not guitar like at all. Her tail is short and not muscular- narrower than a pencil, maybe the width of a ballpoint pen cartridge. I'll take a picture tonight.

 

[OpusOstreae]

The mystery animal, in a 5 gallon bucket for picture purposes:

 

[Zoodiver]

Butterfly ray.
Gymnura micrura

Nice looking animal!!!!

 

[OpusOstreae]

Thanks for the help, Matt! She's gorgeous, I'm sad to have to let her go

 

[roseriel]

gorgeous ray bethany!!!!!

 

[OpusOstreae]

Thanks Hannah!

 

[Zoodiver]

LOL I wondered if that's who that was!