Egg capsules of the multispine skate, Bathyraja multispinis: the largest of the genus recorded in South American waters

Egg capsules of the multispine skate, Bathyraja multispinis (Norman, 1937), described here for the first time, are larger (180 mm in length without horns) than those of any Bathyraja species from the South-west Atlantic Ocean (SWA). The capsule’s surface texture is relatively smooth by the presence of woven-like fibres. However, below the fibres, it is rough to the touch by the presence of longitudinal ridges and prickles of different shapes and sizes, ending in two or more digitiform projections. An identification key to all described Bathyraja egg capsules occurring in the SWA from 34° to 55°S is provided