▁and ▁females ▁when ▁about ▁ ▁long . ▁The ▁sex ▁ratio ▁is ▁ 1 : 1 , ▁but ▁this ▁can ▁vary ▁depending ▁on ▁ge ography ▁and ▁season . ▁When ▁h atch ing , ▁ju ven iles ▁measure ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁long . ▁Once ▁they ▁have ▁reached ▁sexual ▁m atur ity , ▁they ▁only ▁reproduce ▁every ▁other ▁year . ▁They ▁mate ▁in ▁the ▁spring , ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁summer , ▁females ▁lay ▁about ▁ 4 0 ▁egg ▁cases ▁in ▁sand y ▁or ▁mud dy ▁fl ats . ▁The ▁eggs ▁develop ▁for ▁ 2 – 5 ▁months ▁before ▁h atch ing . ▁ ▁E gg ▁case ▁E gg ▁cases ▁measure ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁long , ▁ex cluding ▁the ▁horn s , ▁and ▁ ▁wide . ▁They ▁are ▁covered ▁in ▁close - f elt ed ▁fib ers ▁and ▁often ▁was h ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁shore . ▁ ▁E gg ▁case ▁hun ts ▁have ▁been ▁done ▁throughout ▁the ▁general ▁distribution ▁of ▁the ▁common ▁sk ate . ▁In ▁the ▁British ▁Is les , ▁egg ▁cases ▁were ▁only ▁found ▁in ▁northern ▁Scotland ▁and ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Ireland . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries , ▁egg ▁cases ▁were ▁seen ▁along ▁the ▁entire ▁British ▁coast line ▁in ▁high ▁numbers , ▁but ▁now ▁they ▁are ▁only ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁areas . ▁ ▁Diet ▁Like ▁other ▁sk ates , ▁the ▁common ▁sk ate ▁is ▁a ▁bottom ▁fe eder . ▁Its ▁di et ▁consists ▁of ▁cr ust ace ans , ▁cl ams , ▁o yst ers ,