Descriptions of rajid egg cases from southeastern Australian waters. Author M. A. Treloar Author L. J. B. Laurenson Author J. D. Stevens text Zootaxa 2006 1231 53 68 http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DF293AC9-4368-4381-9FA2-F4486715FF80 journal article z01231p053 [[ Family Rajidae ]] Identification key for rajid egg cases collected from skates in southeastern Australian waters 1a Egg case small, ≤ 85 mm BL ........................................................................................ 2 1b Egg case medium to large, ≥ 90 mm BL ....................................................................... 5 2a Lateral keel absent; dorsal and/or ventral surfaces of egg case covered with dense fibroids .......................................................................................................................... 3 2b Lateral keel present; dorsal and ventral surfaces of egg case not covered with dense fibroids ....................................................................................... Dipturus sp. A (Fig. 3) 3a Posterior horns shorter than body width; egg case> 40 mm BL .................................. 4 3b Posterior horns at least 2.7 times maximum body width; egg case ≤ 40 mm BL ......... ................................................................................................. Pavoraja nitida (Fig. 10) 4a Ventral surface of egg case covered with dense fibroids; egg case narrow at posterior end; posterior apron 1.5 times length of anterior apron ............. Dipturus cerva (Fig. 6) 4b Ventral surface of egg case not covered with dense fibroids; posterior apron length almost 3 times the length of anterior apron .......................... Dipturus lemprieri (Fig. 8) 5a Dorsal and ventral surfaces of egg case covered with dense fibroids; posterior horns shorter than body width ................................................................................................. 6 5b Dorsal and ventral surfaces of egg case not covered with dense fibroids; posterior horns at least 1.4 times maximum body width ........... Amblyraja cf hyperborea (Fig. 2) 6a Lateral keel prominent,> 18% of maximum body width; aprons fringed ...................... ................................................................................................ Dipturus whitleyi (Fig. 9) 6b Lateral keel discrete, <14% of maximum body width; aprons not fringed .................. 7 7a Egg case large, ≥ 160 mm BL; posterior horns enclosed in apron .................................. ............................................................................................ Dipturus cf gudgeri (Fig. 7) 7b Egg case medium, ≤ 120 mm BL; posterior horns extending out of apron .................... ..................................................................................................... Dipturus sp. B (Fig. 4) Note: Dipturus sp. L was not included in this key as only partially formed egg cases were examined.