Rare Occurrence of the Rough Ray Raja radula (Family: Rajidae) in the Northeastern Mediterranean

On December 04, 2017, a single female specimen of rough ray Raja radula Delaroche 1809 with a total length of 510 mm and weight of 780 g, and its egg case were caught by a commercial trawler from a 65-80 m depth range. R. radula is endemic to the Mediterranean and is a rare species in terms of its occurrence on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Türkiye. Therefore, the present study reports a rare occurrence of R. radula and its egg case off Aydıncık, Mersin Bay (northeastern Mediterranean) along with some of their morphological measurements. The species is a high priority for conservation action, and urgent plans must be made and implemented without delay to protect this species, which is approaching critical levels.