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    • Skate Fish

    Skate Fish, Ray & Skate Wing Flavor Profile

    Skate fish have a mildly pronounced flavor, firm flesh and a high collagen content which gives it a unique texture when cooked. The flesh is light beige to pinkish in color but becomes off-white when cooked. Their taste is similar to scallops. Do not over cook Skate or Ray as the flesh will break along the separations.

    Skate Fish Flavor Scale
    Flavor
    Oil
    Texture
    Typical Cooking Methods
    Alternate Names

    Sting Ray, Ray, Raja Fish, Imitation Scallops
    East Coast Skates include: Barndoor Skate, Clearnose Skate, Little Skate, Winter Skate, Thorny Skate
    Pacific Coast Skates include: Big Skate, California Skate, Longnose Skate

    Typical Wholesale Products

    Skin-off wings, Skin-on wings, fillets, whole
    West Coast varieties average 3-5 lbs per wing while East Coast varieties average 1-3 pounds per wing.

    Purchasing Considerations

    Fresh Skate fish should not have an ammonia odor; if it does then reject it.

    Skate Fish Description (Rajidae)

    Skates & Rays are a bottom dwelling fish related to the shark family and as such have cartilage instead of bones. They are shaped like a kite and although colors vary, most Skate are a brownish-gray color. Skates are larger than Rays and have longer, more pointed snouts. Their “wings” are composed of multiple strips of flesh separated by strips of cartilage. Size varies greatly by species with the largest Skate reaching weights up to 200 pounds, but average commercial size is about 8-10 pounds whole fish.

    The skin of Skates & Rays is tough and inedible. Like sharks, Skates eliminate urea through their skin, giving additional reason to remove it before preparing skate wing for service.

    Coho SalmonFish Coho SalmonFish
    King Salmon Availability

    Fresh seafood availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh. Skate fish is most available during the summer and fall, but winter harvested Skate is considered to be the best.

    Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
    Skate Butchering Yield Percentage and Recovery
    Item To Skin/On Fillets To Skin/Off Fillets Notes
    Whole Head/On gutted 26%  Yield rates vary widely by species.
    Whole Head/Off gutted 59%
    Skin/On Fillets — 60% If you have additional yield info on this fish please leave a comment below.
    Yield % varies according to a number of factors including: size of fish, season, sex, and the skill of your fishmonger.
    How to Fillet Skate Video
    Range & Habitat

    Skate fish are found in cold and temperate oceans worldwide as well as deep tropical waters. Their diet consists mainly of crustaceans, invertebrates, and the occasional small fish.

    Sardines Range
    Skate Fish Sustainability Info
    Name Alternate Names Catch Method Catch
    Region    		 Seafood
    Watch     		Ocean
    Wise     		Sea
    Choice     		Mercury
    Concerns
    Skate fish,
    Raja spp.,
    Leucoraja ocellata    		 Baja Fish, Imitation Scallop, Barndoor, Clearnose, Little, Rosette, Smooth, Thorny and Winter Skate Wild Worldwide Red Dot Red Dot Red Dot Moderate
    Skate,
    Raja binoculata    		 Big Skate Wild – Bottom Trawl, Bottom Longline US – WA, OR, CA Yellow Dot Green Dot Red Dot
    Wild – Bottom Trawl Canada – BC Yellow Dot Green Dot Red Dot
    Skate,
    Raja inornata    		 California Skate Wild – Bottom Trawl US – WA, OR, CA Green Dot Green Dot Red Dot
    Skate,
    Raja rhina    		 Longnose Skate Wild – Bottom Trawl US – WA, OR, CA Green Dot Green Dot Red Dot
    Bottom longline, Bottom trawl Canada – BC Red Dot Red Dot Red Dot
    Skate,
    Raja spp.    		 US, Canada – Atlantic Red Dot Red Dot Red Dot
    Disclaimer: The sustainability info above is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, each program randomly updates their information without our knowledge. We therefore recommend that you verify the current accuracy of this information.
    Green Dot = Best Choice/Recommended    Yellow Dot = Good Alternative    Red Dot = Avoid/Not Recommended Updated
    January 2015
    Nutritional Information

    based upon a 6 oz (171 grams) raw edible serving.

    * Calories/Calories from fat 163
    * Protein grams 36
    * Fat grams 1.2
    * Saturated fat grams .38
    * Sodium milligrams 154
    * Cholesterol milligrams 47
    * Omega-3 grams