Raja mauritaniensis, commonly known as the African ray, is a species of ray in the family Rajidae. It is found at depths of NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet) in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Mauritania and Tunisia.
This species was described in 1977, but the currently used scientific name is a homonym, preoccupied by Raja africana, which is a synonym of Urogymnus asperrimus. Consequently, a replacement scientific name is needed for the African ray.[1] [2] Furthermore, the validity of the African ray has been questioned, with some suggesting that its type specimen may be an aberrant R. miraletus or R. straeleni.[1] [2]