Smallnose Fanskate
The smallnose fanskate is a native demersal ray found along Argentina's Atlantic coast from the Buenos Aires province south to Santa Cruz.
It turns up in recreational shore and boat fisheries, though it's far more significant as a commercial bycatch species taken in bottom-trawl and longline operations on the continental shelf.
Anglers fishing the coast for other bottom species regularly encounter it.
Scientific Name: Sympterygia bonapartii
Also known as raya mariposa, raya chica
- Diamond-shaped pectoral disc typical of skates, brownish on top with a pale underside; small pointed snout gives the species its common name.
- Grows to around 88 cm total length; most fish encountered by recreational anglers run considerably smaller.
- Egg cases (mermaid's purses) are oblong capsules roughly 8 cm long with stiff pointed horns at each corner — a distinctive sign of the species on sandy or muddy beaches.
- Distinguished from similar Argentine skates by its relatively small, blunt snout and the fused pelvic fin lobes characteristic of the genus Sympterygia.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the Southwest Atlantic; in Argentina its range runs from the Buenos Aires coast south to Rawson (Chubut province) and beyond toward Santa Cruz.
- Lives on the continental shelf and upper slope, typically from shallow nearshore waters down to about 100 m, occasionally deeper.
- Prefers sandy and muddy bottom — the same soft-substrate habitat that defines much of Argentina's Patagonian shelf.
- Also found in estuarine and shallow coastal waters, making it accessible to shore anglers along the Patagonian coast.
Key Locations
- Golfo San Matías (Río Negro/Chubut) — well-documented in research trawl surveys and recreational fisheries in northern Patagonia.
- Buenos Aires province coast — the northern limit of the Argentine range, where it appears as bycatch in coastal fisheries.
- Rawson and the Chubut coast — southern extent of the documented Argentine range, with commercial fishing activity on the shelf.
- Argentine continental shelf broadly — the species is distributed across the entire inner to mid shelf between Buenos Aires and Santa Cruz provinces.
Specific Spots
- Sandy and muddy flats in 10–80 m of water are the core habitat; bottom-fishing rigs worked along these substrates will find them.
- Estuarine channels and sheltered bays along the Patagonian coast concentrate fish, especially where soft bottom meets structure.
- Depth transitions at the edge of the inner shelf can hold skates moving between feeding grounds and shallower resting areas.
Smallnose Fanskate FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Smallnose Fanskate?
Cut squid and cut fish (mackerel, anchovy) are the go-to baits along the Argentine coast, both match the natural forage and hold well on the hook. Whole or half shrimp and other crustacean baits work well given the species' preference for bottom-dwelling invertebrates.
When is the best time to fish for Smallnose Fanskate?
Available year-round along the Patagonian coast, with no strongly defined seasonal peak. Egg deposition on sandy flats may concentrate fish in shallower nearshore areas during warmer months (spring–summer, roughly October–March in the southern hemisphere).
How do you catch Smallnose Fanskate?
Most recreational encounters happen incidentally while bottom-fishing for other coastal species from boats or the shore. Anglers specifically targeting skates anchor or drift over sandy or muddy bottom in 10–60 m, fishing natural bait hard on the bottom with weighted paternoster rigs.
What do Smallnose Fanskate eat?
Feeds primarily on bottom-dwelling invertebrates, crustaceans, polychaete worms, and small mollusks, rooted out of soft sediment. Bottom rigs baited with squid, cut fish, or shrimp mimic this forage directly.
Where do Smallnose Fanskate live?
Native to the Southwest Atlantic; in Argentina its range runs from the Buenos Aires coast south to Rawson (Chubut province) and beyond toward Santa Cruz. Lives on the continental shelf and upper slope, typically from shallow nearshore waters down to about 100 m, occasionally deeper.
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