1. By: Kylie Brown 2.11

2. What IS a skate?

3. Abiotic Influences Depth Ocean Currents I like the bottom of the ocean in all parts of the world because I can blend in and hide from predators. Being deep in the ocean also provides me with the cold water that helps me live. I use the tides’ magnetic field to migrate and search for food.

4. Abiotic Continued Salinity Salt is very important to my ability to live in water. I only live in the ocean or at an estuary (a place where the river meets the ocean). I cannot live in bodies of freshwater because of the lack of salinity.

5. Impacting Biotic Life Predators? Meal time! I am sometimes hunted by sharks but because of my lack of bone (I am cartilaginous) it is hard to track who actually hunts me. My biggest enemy is a human because of over- exploitation of my species. I have strong teeth and jaws which help me eat yummy things like shellfish, worms, and even crabs!

6. I.B.L. Continued What do I look like? My Relationships I tend to be covered in gray/brown scales and have a tale that is shaped like a whip. Sometimes I have organs on my tails that help me shock those I feel threatened by. I have five gill slits to help me breath even though my mouth is on the underside of my body. I use my pectoral fins to move through the water. Scientists do not know a lot about how I interact with other sea animals but my cousin the manta lets bony fish in shallow waters pick parasites of its’ skin. It is very possible that I follow in the manta ray’s footsteps.

7. Biography http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/animals/index.ht m http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/animals/index.ht m http://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/skate-and- ray-info.htm http://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/skate-and- ray-info.htm http://marinelife.about.com/od/fish/p/Skates.htm http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id =47 http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id =47 http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1280