Variation in body size, shape and clasper structure of specimens of Raja miraletus from the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Guinea led to a study of the morphological variation of this species over its entire known range: the Mediterranean, and western and southern Africa. A total of 124 specimens were examined from five areas (Mediterranean, Mauritania-Senegal, Gulf of Guineaequatorial Africa, Angola and South Africa) for the morphological study and from seven areas (Mediterranean, Mauritania, Senegal, Gulf of Guinea, equatorial Africa, Angola and South Africa) for the meristic study. Of the morphological groups, the Mediterranean and South African samples are the most distinct from each other and from the other samples. West African samples are the most similar, with Gulf of Guinea-equatorial African and Angolan samples the most distinct among the three samples. The Mediterranean sample is distinct from the remainder of the samples in distance between the dorsal-fin bases, interorbital width (IW), distance between the first gill slits, prenasal snout length (PNSL), preorbital snout length (POSL), number of predorsal tail vertebrae, number of pectoral radials and shape of some of the clasper cartilages. The South African sample is distinct from the other samples in distance between the dorsalfin bases, IW, PNSL, preoral snout length (PRSL), number of trunk vertebrae, shape of several of the clasper cartilages and number of postventral scapulocoracoid fenestrae. IW and distance between the first gill slits increase clinally whereas PNSL, PRSL and POSL decrease clinally from the Mediterranean to South Africa. Distance between the dorsal-fin bases, number of vertebrae between the dorsal fin bases and shape of accessory terminal 1, accessory terminal 2 and ventral terminal cartilages converge at the extremes of the distributional range. Because of the subtleness of the variation, clinal nature of some of the variables and the fact that the putative populations are parapatrically or allopatrically distributed, R. miraletus is considered a polymorphic species of at least three partially separated populations. Hydrographic conditions along the coast of west Africa may serve to divide these populations. Upwelling at Cape Blanco (21?N) may be responsible for isolating the Mediterranean and Mauritania-Senegal populations. Similarly, upwelling off Cape Frio (18?S) and the Benguela Current may separate the Angolan and South African populations.