Arhynchobatidae is a family of skates and is commonly known as the softnose skates. It belongs to the order Rajiformes in the superorder
Batoidea
Batoidea is a superorder of cartilaginous fishes, commonly known as rays. They and their close relatives, the sharks, comprise the subclass Elasmobranchii. Rays are the largest group of cartilaginous fishes, with well over 600 species in 26 fa ...
of
rays
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gra ...
. At least 104 species have been described, in 13 genera. Softnose skates have at times been placed in the same family as
hardnose skates, but most recent authors recognize them as a distinct family. Members of the Arhynchobatidae can be distinguished from hardnose skates in having a soft and flexible snout, as well as a more or less reduced rostrum.
Genera
The 13 recognized genera of softnose skates are:
* ''
Arhynchobatis''
* ''
Atlantoraja
''Atlantoraja'' is a genus of skates in the family Arhynchobatidae. They are found from near sea level to depths of in the Atlantic Ocean off Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. These fish are all considered threatened due to the intense fishing pres ...
''
* ''
Bathyraja
''Bathyraja'' is a large genus of skates in the family Arhynchobatidae.
Species
There are 55 recognized species in this genus:Orr, J.W., Stevenson, D.E., Hoff, G.R., Spies, I. & McEachran, J.D. (2011)Bathyraja panthera, ''a new species of skate ...
''
* ''
Brochiraja
''Brochiraja'' is a genus of deep-sea skates in the family Arhynchobatidae containing eight species. They are found in the waters around New Zealand and the Tasman Sea.
Species
* '' Brochiraja aenigma'' Last & McEachran, 2006 (Enigma skate)
* ' ...
''
* ''
Insentiraja''
* ''
Irolita''
* ''
Notoraja''
* ''
Pavoraja
''Pavoraja'' is a genus of skates in the family Arhynchobatidae from deeper waters off Australia.
Description
''Pavoraja'' are relatively small skates. The disc is semi-oval to heart-shaped. The snout has a small fleshy process at the tip.
Spe ...
''
* ''
Psammobatis
''Psammobatis'' is a genus of skates in the family Arhynchobatidae. These fish are found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans off southern South America.
Species
* '' Psammobatis bergi'' Marini, 1932 (Blotched sand skate)
* ''Psammobatis extenta' ...
''
* ''
Pseudoraja
The fanfin skate (''Pseudoraja fischeri'') is a species of skate in the family Arhynchobatidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Pseudoraja''. This pelagic skate occurs in the Atlantic Ocean from Florida and through the Gulf of Mex ...
''
* ''
Rhinoraja''
* ''
Rioraja
The Rio skate (''Rioraja agassizii'') is a shallow water skate native to the Atlantic coast of South America from Brazil to southern Argentina. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Rioraja''.
Named in honor of zoologist-geologist Loui ...
''
* ''
Sympterygia
''Sympterygia'' is a genus of fish in the family Arhynchobatidae found in oceans off South America.
Species
There are four species in the genus:
* '' Sympterygia acuta'' Garman, 1877 (Bignose fanskate)
* '' Sympterygia bonapartii'' J. P. Mülle ...
''
Conservation
In 2010, Greenpeace International added the
spotback skate to its seafood red list. "The Greenpeace International seafood red list is a list of fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries."
Greenpeace International Seafood Red list
/ref>
References
External links
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Ray families
Fish described in 1934
Taxa named by Henry Weed Fowler
{{Rajiformes-stub