First Confirmed Complete Incubation Of A Flapper Skate (Dipturus Intermedius) Egg In Captivity

An egg of the critically endangered flapper skate Dipturus intermedius was successfully incubated to hatching in captivity in what is believed to be a first for the species. Water conditions (temperature, salinity, flow rate) were recorded, with mean water temperatures ranging from a monthly mean of 8.3 +/- 1.2 to 13.2 +/- 0.3 degrees C and salinity from a monthly mean of 30.5 +/- 1.2 to 36.6 +/- 2.3 ppt. Hatching occurred after 534 days, suggesting that flapper skate eggs take c. 5700 growing degree-days to incubate to hatching. The egg's prolonged embryonic development raises concerns about flapper skate eggs' vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbance.