Chronic Sublethal Injury in a Critically Endangered Flapper Skate ( Dipturus intermedius ): In Situ Observations Compatible With Trawl Capture

ABSTRACT Sublethal effects of bycatch in elasmobranchs are typically assessed using short‐term survival metrics, yet post‐release pathology remains poorly documented. We report in situ observations of a flapper skate ( Dipturus intermedius ) in the northeast Atlantic exhibiting skeletal and soft‐tissue abnormalities—vertebral deformation, truncation of the tail, orbital protrusion and an epidermal hyperplastic lesion on the rostrum—while maintaining normal behaviour. While not conclusive, these co‐occurring pathologies are compatible with trawl capture. This article serves to highlight the need to consider sublethal injury, rather than binary survival, in assessments of fisheries impact for threatened elasmobranchs.