It is occasionally encountered off the western coast of Ireland, and historically has been found near Rockall and in the Norwegian Deep, though recent surveys have not identified the species there.

[1] The species has frequently been confused with other skates, and since the late 1980s it has been confirmed to occur more widely, ranging from Iceland to Morocco, as well as off South Africa and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Its underparts are dark brown and often covered in blackish mucus, which separates it from some other skates in its range where adults generally have pale underparts (an exception is D. oxyrinchus, which however can be distinguished by its narrower snout).

The egg case consists in a very large capsule with a long rectangular shape and pointed horns at the corners, deposited on sandy and muddy bottoms.

[6] At least in the Mediterranean Sea the primary prey are decapod crustaceans, followed by bony fish, while cephalopods, small elasmobranchs and polychaetes occasionally are consumed.