Elan Bank holds the regular presence of the Whiteleg Skate as a resident range-restricted species.

Whiteleg Skate bycatch was recorded in a research longline fishery for Patagonian Toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides operating in this area from 2008–2018 (no fishing in 2010 and 2016) that made a total of 421 hauls at ~5,000 hooks each, with an even ratio between auto-lines and trotlines as the capture method (Péron et al. 2019). Recorded data included numbers of individuals caught, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) expressed as biomass (kg) per 1,000 hooks, and biomass estimates based on average weight from a subsample in each haul (Captain’s data) or average weight of the species (observer data) (Péron et al. 2019). Data were analysed in 10 x 10 km cells (0.25° longitude x 0.125° latitude) and effort was not evenly distributed in the wider region.

In total, 22,700 Whiteleg Skates were caught according to the Captain’s data, with most (95%) captured on auto-lines. The species had a main peak in captures on the top of Elan Bank (~900–1,000 m deep) where most auto-lines were deployed and a second, smaller peak at ~1,400 m caught with trotlines. CPUE is high throughout the area but reached a maximum of 270 kg/1,000 hooks at relatively shallower depths in the east of the bank (Péron et al. 2019). This is higher than in any other area where the Whiteleg Skate is found, indicating that this is a main hotspot in the distribution of this species. Whiteleg Skates are only found around sub-Antarctic islands and banks south of the Indian Ocean, including Elan Bank, Crozet Islands, Ob and Lena Banks, southern Kerguelen Plateau, Marione Dufresne Bank, and Marion and Prince Edwards Islands (Pollom et al. 2020). However, the species is rarely captured in most sites outside Elan Banks and the Crozet Islands exclusive economic zone (des Clers & Deleau 2021; Faure et al. 2023), highlighting the importance of this area for this range-restricted species.