The Starry Skate (Raja asterias) is a small (to 76 cm total length) skate that occurs in the Mediterranean Sea, with some records from Portugal in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. It occurs on the continental shelf and upper shelf at depths from the surface to 200 m, and possibly 400 m, though mainly at depths to 150 m. The Starry Skate is a minor commercial species across its range, and is taken as incidental catch and retained in mainly trawl and set net (gillnet and trammel) fisheries. The species is frequently recorded in most areas of the MEDiterranean International Trawl Survey (MEDITS). Since 1994, despite extensive fishing pressure, the MEDITS data reveal the Starry Skate population has been increasing in the Mediterranean Sea over at least, the past three generation lengths (21 years). Its life history of relatively early maturity and high fecundity likely provides it with some resilience to fishing pressure. There is no evidence of population decline over the past three generation lengths (21 years) and the species is not suspected to be close to reaching the population reduction threshold. Therefore, the Starry Skate is assessed as Least Concern.

The Starry Skate is mostly confined to the Mediterranean Sea, with additional reports of the species from southern Portugal in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean (Last et al. 2016, Ebert and Dando 2021).

There are no data available on the absolute global population size of the Starry Skate. Genetic analysis reveals three distinct units: western, central-western, and central-eastern Mediterranean Sea (Catalano et al. 2021). Population trend data are available from the Mediterranean Sea (MEDITS unpub. data). The trend data were analysed over three generation lengths using a Bayesian state-space framework (a modification of Sherley et al. 2020, Winker et al. 2020). This analysis yields an annual rate of change, a median change over three generation lengths, and the probability of the most likely IUCN Red List category percent change over three generations (see the Supplementary Information).

Data collected during the MEDiterranean International Trawl Survey (MEDITS) have generally been analysed and reported in a range of publications with differing spatial and temporal scales. Population abundance for the Starry Skate have shown increasing trends in the South Ligurian and North Tyrrhenian Seas (1994–2004) (Serena et al. 2005). In the Aegean Sea, catch rates showed a declining abundance trend from 1998–2004, with a subsequent increase after 2004, though the catch rates at the end of the time-series analysed had not reached the levels observed at the start of the time-series (Maravelias et al. 2012). Previously, in the Adriatic Sea, landings declined over 25 years (1969–1994) in the Gulf of Lions despite no apparent decrease in fishing effort, and in this region the species disappeared entirely from catches in waters greater than 150 m depth between 1957–1995 (Serena et al. 2015). In waters shallower than 150 m, the species declined by approximately 20% (Serena et al. 2015). Yet, a more recent analyses of the species' catches in the Adriatic Sea indicated an increasing abundance from 1996–2019 (Maioli et al. 2023). Further, also in more recent years, the MEDITS data 1994–2021 (27 years), modelled biomass revealed annual rates of increase of 1.17% over the past three generation lengths (21 years), with the highest probability (74%) of no major reductions in population over the past three generation lengths.

The Starry Skate is demersal on the continental shelf and slope at depths and mostly depths shallower than 150 m, it has been confirmed from depths to 200 m but may occur to ~400 m; reports to 700 m depth are likely erroneous (Serena et al. 2010, Ebert and Dando 2021, Catalano et al. 2022). It reaches a maximum size of 76 cm total length with males mature at 45–52 cm TL and females mature at 53–60 cm TL (Serena et al. 2005, Serena et al. 2015). Reproduction is oviparous and 30–112 egg cases are deposited with size-at-hatching of 8 cm TL (Bauchot 1987, Ebert and Dando 2021). Age-at-maturity for females is 3–4 years and maximum age is 10 years (Serena and Abella 1999, Bono et al. 2005, Serena et al. 2015), resulting in a generation length of 7 years.

In the Mediterranean Sea, the Starry Skate has been subject to extensive fishing across much of the species' known depth and spatial distribution. It is considered a minor commercial species (Catalano et al. 2021). The species is mainly caught incidentally with beam trawls, demersal trawl, trammel net, and gillnet gear and larger individuals are retained (e.g., Carbonara et al. 2020, Ferragut-Perello et al. 2023). Post-release survival is high for trawl-caught juveniles (Catalano et al. 2021). The Starry Skate is frequently recorded in most areas of the MEDiterranean International Trawl Survey (MEDITS) (Geraci et al. 2021). Skates (Raja spp.) are the most fished elasmobranchs in parts of the Mediterranean Sea and neighbouring areas. For example, in the Gulf of Cádiz, skates represented up to 50% of regional landings (Biton-Porsmoguer and Lloret 2020).

The species is sold in markets along African coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. As with many skates in the Mediterranean, the flesh of the Starry Skate is likely marketed for human consumption.

In ICES-managed areas of Atlantic Spain and Portugal, the species is managed with catch quotas for skates and rays (Rajiformes). In Portugal, there is a limit on landing skates (Rajidae) in the nominal May-June spawning period, whereby skates and rays should not be landed (except where skate and ray landings are less than 5% of the landings). Portugal also has a minimum landing size (52 cm total length) for all Raja spp. There is a prohibition on trawling within three miles of the coast off Tuscany (Ligurian Sea) which may afford protection for this species' shallow nursery areas. Further research is needed on population size and trends, and life history, and catch rates should be monitored.