Raja eglanteria
The Clearnose Skate, Raja eglanteria, is a wide flattish fish with a cartilage skeleton. It is a bottom feeder that eats crabs, worms, bivalves and small fish and can grow to 100 pounds.
The Skate’s egg case is 3 to 4 inches long, black
with four tendrils. They are composed of keratin, the
protein in our fingernails which makes it tough enough
to deter many predators. The case is formed around
the egg just before the mother deposits it on the sea
floor. The case “horns” help anchor the egg. They also
extract oxygen from the seawater and excrete waste.
These egg cases are waterproof since the embryos do
not have gills until they are three weeks old. At that
time holes open in the tips of the horns to admit
seawater.
After 3 to 15 months the case splits open at one
end releasing the young skate. The empty egg cases
have several names; mermaid’s purse, devil’s purse
and sailor’s purse.
Live shells should never be taken from any Florida State Park.