Arhynchobatidae Explained

Arhynchobatidae is a family of skates whose members are commonly known as the softnose skates. It belongs to the order Rajiformes in the superorder Batoidea of rays. 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.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} 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.^[5]

Genera

The 13 recognized genera of softnose skates are:^[6]

• Arhynchobatis
• Atlantoraja
• Bathyraja
• Brochiraja
• Insentiraja
• Irolita
• Notoraja
• Pavoraja
• Psammobatis
• Pseudoraja
• Rhinoraja
• Rioraja
• Sympterygia

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."^[7]

Notes and References

1. MCEACHRAN, J.D. & DUNN, K.A. & MIYAKE, T. (1996) Interrelationships of the batoid fishes (Chondrichthyes: Batoidei). In: M.L.J. Stiassny, L.R. Parenti & G.D. Johnson, eds. Interrelationships of fishes. Academic Press, San Diego, London: 63–84, figs 1–13
2. MCEACHRAN, J.D. & DUNN, K.A. (1998) Phylogenetic analysis of skates, a morphologically conservative clade of elasmobranches (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia, 1998 (2): 271–290
3. EBERT, D.A. (2003) The Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of California. University California Press, Berkeley, CA. 284 pp.
4. LAST, P.R. & STEHMANN, M.F.W. & SÉRET, B. & WEIGMANN, S. (2016) Softnose Skates, Family Arhynchobatidae. In: Last, P.R., White, W.T., Carvalho, M.R. de, Séret, B., Stehmann, M.F.W & Naylor, G.J.P (Eds.) Rays of the World. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne: 364–472.
5. COMPAGNO, L.J.V. (1999) Chapter 1. Systematics and body form. pp. 1–42. In: W.C. Hamlett, ed. Sharks, skates and rays. The biology of elasmobranch fishes. Johns Hopkins Press, Maryland.
6. Book: Rays of the World. 9780643109148. Last. Peter. Naylor. Gavin. Séret. Bernard. White. William. Carvalho. Marcelo de. Stehmann. Matthias. December 2016.
7. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/seafood/red-list-of-species Greenpeace International Seafood Red list