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A total of 52 “rapido” (towed toothed beam gears) trawls were monitored in late winter-summer of the 1999-2000 period to assess the R. asterias size structure at this time of higher yields as well as 36 fishing operations performed by “volantina” (trawl nets with fairly high vertical opening) during distinct seasons on the continental shelf off the fishing harbour of Fiumicino (central western Italy) to gain data also for that gear. Daily yields recorded for the only boat locally authorised to use “rapido” nets gave median values of 32.0 individuals and 24.35 kg vs. 2.5 rays and 2.80 kg for trawlers fishing at the same time. Comparison of the body sizes at which 50% of the skates had been found mature in our samples (265 gonads examined) showed that most specimens caught by the “rapido” nets were in their juvenile stage. Examination of stomach contents from 129 skates confirmed previous reports that they mainly feed on crustaceans and bony fish and the role of the latter in the diet progressively increases as R. asterias specimens grow older and larger., Istraživana su ukupno 52 potega dredžama (“rapido”) u kasnom zimskom-ljetnom periodu 1999.-2000. godine kako bi se ustanovila veličina raže zvjezdopjege, R. asterias u vrijeme većeg ulova. Obavljeno je 36 ribarstvenih uzorkovanja pomoću “volantina” (koće većeg okomitog raspona) tijekom različitih godišnjih doba na kontinentalnom šelfu pokraj luke Fiumicino (srednji zapadni dio Italije) kako bi se dobili podaci i o ovom ribarskom alatu. Dnevni ulov zabilježen na brodu registriranom za uporabu “rapido” mreža iznosio je 32.0 jedniki i 24.35 kg od toga 2.5 kg raža i 2.80 kg koćarskog ulova istovremeno. Usporedbom veličine tijela uzoraka 50% raža je bilo zrelo (265 ispitanih gonada) što ukazuje na činjenicu da je većina ulovljenih primjeraka “rapido” mrežom bilo u juvenilnom stadiju. Ispitivanje želučanog sadržaja kod 129 raža potvrdilo je dosadašnja izvješća da se pretežito hrane rakovima i koštunjičavim ribama, koje su zastupljenije u prehrani starijih i većih primjeraka R. asterias.