| Orbiraja | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Rajiformes |
| Family: | Rajidae |
| Genus: | Orbiraja Last, Weigmann & Dumale, 2016 [1] |
| Type species | |
| Okamejei jensenae Last & Lim, 2010 | |
Orbiraja is a genus of small skates in the family Rajidae from the western and central Indo-Pacific. Prior to 2016, they were included in the genus Okamejei . [1]
There are three species in the genus: [1]
Skates are cartilaginous fish belonging to the family Rajidae in the superorder Batoidea of rays. More than 150 species have been described, in 17 genera. Softnose skates and pygmy skates were previously treated as subfamilies of Rajidae, but are now considered as distinct families. Alternatively, the name "skate" is used to refer to the entire order of Rajiformes.
Rajiformes is one of the four orders in the clade Batomorphi, often referred to as the superorder Batoidea, flattened cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. Rajiforms are distinguished by the presence of greatly enlarged pectoral fins, which reach as far forward as the sides of the head, with a generally flattened body. The undulatory pectoral fin motion diagnostic to this taxon is known as rajiform locomotion. The eyes and spiracles are located on the upper surface of the head and the gill slits are on the underside of the body. Most species give birth to live young, although some lay eggs enclosed in a horny capsule.
Bathyraja is a large genus of skates in the family Arhynchobatidae.
Dipturus is a large genus of skates native to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. They were formerly included in Raja. Some species initially moved to Dipturus were later placed in Dentiraja, Spiniraja, and Zearaja.
Raja, also known as raia, is a genus of skates in the family Rajidae containing 16 species. Formerly a wastebasket genus, many species historically categorized here have been moved to other genera in the family, such as Amblyraja, Beringraja, Dipturus, Leucoraja and Rostroraja. Raja are flat-bodied, cartilaginous fish with a rhombic shapes due to their large pectoral fins extending from or near from the snouts to the bases of their tails. Their sharp snouts are produced by a cranial projection of rostral cartilage. The mouth and gills are located on the underside of the body. They may be either solid-coloured or patterned, and most skates have spiny or thorn-like structures on the upper surface, while some species contain weak electrical organs within their tails. Mating typically occurs in the spring and the female lays numerous eggs per clutch which are encapsulated in leathery cases, commonly known as "mermaid’s purses". Species vary in size, ranging from about 40 to 140 cm (1.3–4.6 ft) in length. These bottom-dwellers are active during both day and night, and typically feed on molluscs, crustaceans and fish. Raja skates are found in the East Atlantic, also in the Mediterranean, and western Indian Ocean, ranging from relatively shallow water to a depth of 800 m (2,600 ft). Skates and related species have fossil records dating from the Upper Cretaceous period, thus this well-adapted species is quite ancient.
Leucoraja is a genus of hardnose skates in the family Rajidae, commonly known as the rough skates. They occur mostly on continental shelves and slopes in the north-western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the south-western Indian Ocean, and Australia.
Rajella is a genus of skate found deeper than 150 m (490 ft) in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Rostroraja is a genus of skate belonging to the family Rajidae, native to the Atlantic Ocean and East Pacific, including the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of California. The genus was considered monotypic in the past, but a number of species usually classified in Raja have been reassigned to this genus based on genetic analysis.
Dactylobatus is a genus of skates in the family Rajidae. They are found in deep waters in the western Atlantic Ocean from Brazil to the United States, including the Gulf of Mexico.
The Korean skate is a skate in the family Rajidae, and is the sole member of the genus Hongeo. It was previously classified in the genus Raja as Raja koreana until discoveries identified this species as a member of a distinct genus. It is considered Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to overexploitation.
Okamejei is a genus of small skates in the family Rajidae from the central and western Indo-Pacific, and the north-western Pacific Ocean.
Zearaja is a small genus of skates in the family Rajidae. It currently consists of four described species found in oceans off New Zealand, Tasmania and southern South America.
Caliraja rhina, commonly known as the longnose skate, is a species of skate in the family Rajidae from the northeast Pacific. It is found from the eastern Bering Sea and Alaska to Baja California and the Gulf of California. The longnose skate is found at depths of 9–1,069 m (30–3,507 ft) and often deeper than the big skate. The longnose skate has only recently been associated with the genus Beringraja, having been previously included in Raja until genetic evidence supported reclassification. This issue has not be completely resolved and the scientific name "Raja rhina" is still in widespread use.
Beringraja is a genus of skates in the family Rajidae with up to six described species. Formerly, they were included in the genus Raja until 2012, when the genus Beringraja was erected for the two species which had multiple embryos per egg capsule. Genetic evidence has led to four additional species being proposed for inclusion in the genus, although this issue has not be completely resolved. These large skates are found in the North Pacific.
The Melbourne skate is a species of fish in the belonging to the skate family Rajidae. It is the only species in the genus Spiniraja. It is endemic to southern Australia. Its natural habitat is open seas. It is found at depths up to 345 meters.
The Sydney skate is a species of skate of the family Rajidae native to waters off the east coast of Australia.
The grey skate is a species of fish in the family Rajidae. It was described in 2008 by Australian ichthyologist Peter R. Last.
Dentiraja endeavouri, the Endeavour skate, is a species of skate of the family Rajidae native waters off eastern Australia – Queensland and New South Wales.
The bigeye skate is a type of ray in the family Rajidae. The species is commonly found in the Western Pacific.
James Wilder Orr is an American fisheries biologist, ichthyologist, and systematist best known for his studies of skates, rockfishes, snailfishes, and flatfishes. He has described 32 new species and two new genera of fishes, and is the author or co-author of more than 130 scientific and popular articles, including three books. His work has focused primarily on the phylogenetic relationships, zoogeography, reproductive biology, and behavior of marine teleosts, particularly deep-water benthic taxa. He has spent most of his career at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), in Seattle, as a Research Fisheries Biologist. At the same time, he has served as an Affiliate Professor at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, and Affiliate Curator of Fishes at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle. For his lifetime of service, Orr was presented with a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Distinguished Career Award in 2022.
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