They inhabit shallow shelf waters and are prone to bycatch during commercial fishing.

[4] Winter skates are light brown and have small dark spots along the dorsal side of their body.

[4] L. ocellata usually have one to four ocelli, eye-like markings, on the upper surface of the disk, which each have a dark brown center and are pale around the edge.

Their upper jaw has 72 rows of teeth[5] In males, 50% maturity occurs at a total length of 730 mm at 11 years old.

For females, 50% maturity occurs at a total length of 760 mm between 11 and 12 years of age.

Winter Skate, located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, matures at a much younger age and smaller size.

[9] Stage 28: The lens is clear, but the eyes remain lateral (on the sides) and unpigmented.

The pelvic fin is divided into anterior and posterior lobes (towards the head and the tail, respectively).

Stage 29: the rostrum is small and round and forms an 80-degree angle with anterior horizontal.

Gill arches become partially fused but remain free of the pectoral fin.

The pelvic fin remains convex and later acquires hood in males.

The dorsal fins are equal in size and form acute angles with the body.

The pectoral fins are completely fused to the rostrum and end anteriorly in a pointed projection.

This skate can be found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean,[4] ranging from North of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina Winter skates prefer sand and gravel habitats.

L. ocellata is facing extirpation in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, for example,[10] resulting in a lot fewer egg cases found on local beaches.

[11] These egg cases are commonly referred to as mermaid purses due to their shape.

Data regarding Winter Skate discards have only been available since 1991, so assumptions are needed to assess previous years.

[8] Bottom-contacting mobile fishing gear can significantly alter their habitat, including the seafloor structure and relative abundance of benthic species L. ocellata prey on.

[8] The GSL population decline is mostly determined by the elevated adult natural mortality.

[15],[16] Gray seals are the largest contributor to adult mortality because of the steep rise in their population in the GSL.

[18] Adult L. ocellata consume mostly fishes, including rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) and winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus).