1. Natural History of Sharks, Skates, and Rays
Phylogeny of Batoidea
MARE 394
Dr. Turner
Summer 2008

2. Zoogeographic Patterns
Superorder Batoidea – electric rays, sawfishes, guitarfishes, skates, & stingrays
Range for polar to tropical seas
4 Orders
3 Suborders
4 Superfamilies
13 Families
6 Subfamilies
79 Genera
500 Species

3. Superorder Batoidea Orders: Torpediniformes – electric rays
Pristiformes – sawfishes
Rajiformes – true rays
Mylobatiformes – eagle rays

4. Order Torpediniformes
Family Torpedinidae – (electric rays)
Family Narcinidae – (electric rays)
Torpedo ray
Torpedo nobiliana
Numbfish
Narcine maculata

5. Order Pristiformes Family Pristidae – (sawfishes)
Common sawfish
Pristis pristis
Although they are similar in appearance, sawsharks are distinct from sawfish. Sawfish have a much larger maximum size, lack barbels, have evenly sized rather than alternating sawteeth, and have gill slits on their undersurface rather than on the side of the head

6. Rhinobatos rhinobatos
Order Rajiformes
Family Rhinobatidae – (guitarfishes)
Family Rajidae – (skates)
Common guitarfish
Rhinobatos rhinobatos
Big Skate
Raja binoculata

7. Pteroplatytrygon violacea
Order Mylobatiformes
Family Platyrhinidae – (thornback ray)
Family Zanobatidae – (pan rays)
Family Hexatrygonidae – (longsnout stingray)
Family Urolophidae – (round rays)
Family Urotrygonidae – (smalleyed round ray)
Family Dasyatidae – (stingrays)
Family Potamotrygonidae – (river rays)
Family Gymnuridae – (butterfly rays)
Family Myliobatidae – (eagle rays)
Spotted eagle ray
Aetobatus narinari
Pelagic stingray
Pteroplatytrygon violacea