White skates belong to the Rajidae family which includes skates and rays. Rostroraja alba is a large-bodied skate that is known to have occurred in coastal waters of northern Europe. This species is long-lived and late maturing and is highly vulnerable to over-exploitation. Two spawning areas are known, both on the Irish west coast - Tralee Bay and inner Galway Bay - and these are the only known refuges for this species. The white skate is a large coastal and slope species growing to a maximum length of 200cm and weight of 77 kg. Size and age at maturity and maximum age are unknown.