Maximum length 1 metre in American waters, but only 50 cm in European waters. This is a ray of the Arctic Sea and of northern waters on both sides of the Atlantic. It usually has a light brown back, with cream marbling, black spots and noticeable thorns or prickles.
CUISINE The starry ray is eaten in northern Europe, where it has some commercial importance, but is only used for the production of fish meal on the American side. However, not all Americans neglect the rays and skates. Euell Gibbons, in Stalking the Blue-eyed Scallop, drew the attention of his readers to Leucoraja erinacea Mitchill, the LITTLE or COMMON skate, the species which North American anglers are most likely to capture. I show a drawing of this species on the right. Its French Canadian name is raie hérisson. It grows to a length of 60 to 70 cm only, but Gibbons, ever alert to unused foodstuffs, pointed out that it is not merely edible but good, and that in his experience its wings, suitably cut up, could be treated like scallops. I have been told, however, that this practice is more often carried out on Leucoraja ocellata (Mitchill), the winter skate, or Gymnura micrura (B. and S.), the smooth butterfly ray.
