[2] The Thornback ray is found in the Atlantic coastal waters of Europe and western Africa.

It is also present from South Africa to the southwestern Indian Ocean [2] and in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

The thornback ray is usually found on sedimentary seabeds such as mud, sand or gravel at depths between 10–60m.

[2] It is one of about 13 species of skate (family Rajidae) that are known from the North Sea and adjacent Atlantic waters.

Paired eggs are laid and deposited on shallow sand, mud, pebble or gravel bottoms .

Egg cases are oblong capsules with stiff pointed horns at the corners, each containing one embryo.

Adults observed to form same-sex aggregations during the mating season with females moving to shallower inshore waters approximately a month before the males.

The Solway population is heavily exploited by an unrestricted commercial fishery and a considerable proportion (48.6%) of the retained catch is immature.