Angel sharks are sharks belonging to the genus Squatina. They are the only living members of the family Squatinidae and order Squatiniformes. They commonly inhabit sandy seabeds close to 150 m (490 ft) in depth.
The guitarfish, also referred to as shovelnose rays, are a family, Rhinobatidae, of rays. The guitarfish are known for an elongated body with a flattened head and trunk and small, ray-like wings. The combined range of the various species is tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters worldwide.
The shovelnose guitarfish is a ray in the family Rhinobatidae. P. productus was first described by ichthyologist William Orville Ayre in 1854 as Rhinobatos productus, with the genus derived from the Greek word rhinos, meaning nose, and the Latin word batis, meaning ray. It was later placed in the genus Pseudobatos following reconsideration of many species placed in Rhinobatos. As its common name suggests, this species possesses a pointed shovel-shaped snout and a body similar to that of a guitar with a larger head and long, slender body. The shovelnose is considered to be a primitively developed ray, with many features of both sharks and rays. The shovelnose guitarfish was first considered to be a shark because of its dorsal fins' shape. Fossils of P. productus ancestors have been recovered, dating back over 100 million years.
The slender sunfish is a mola of the family Molidae, the only extant member of the genus Ranzania, found globally in tropical and temperate seas. Its length is up to 1 m (3.3 ft). Several stranding and mass stranding events have occurred on beaches near Albany, Western Australia.
The Bali catshark is a species of coloured catshark, belonging to the family Atelomycteridae, found only off the Indonesian island of Bali. It can grow up to 47 cm (19 in). Atelomycterus baliensis inhabits the deep coastal waters of Bali, Indonesia, feeding on small fish and invertebrates.
The largespine velvet dogfish is a shark of the family Somniosidae, found on the lower continental slopes between latitudes 50°S and 54°S in the southeast Pacific Ocean from the Straits of Magellan, and the southwest Pacific from New Zealand, at depths of between 650 and 920 m. Its length is up to 68 cm. It was originally in the genus Centroscymnus because of the shape of its dermal denticles and dorsal fin spines but some argued to put it in the genus Scymnodon because of its shape of dermal denticles. While some wanted to allocate these in Centroscymnus because of the shape of its lower teeth but later it was allocated to a distinct genus called Proscymnodon.
The southern lanternshark is a shark of the family Etmopteridae found in the southeast Pacific between latitudes 29°S and 59°S, at depths of between 220 and 1,460 m. This species has been found off Northland, off the Chatham Islands, on the Campbell Plateau, all in New Zealand waters. Its length is up to 60 cm. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with 10 to 13 pups in a litter, length at birth about 18 cm. They exhibit bioluminescence.
The Pacific hagfish is a species of hagfish. It lives in the mesopelagic to abyssal Pacific Ocean, near the ocean floor. It is a jawless fish and has a body plan that resembles early Paleozoic fishes. They can excrete copious amounts of slime in self-defense.
Strophidon is a genus of eels in the family Muraenidae. The genus has a wide distribution throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans where they mostly inhabit the benthic zone.
Rhinobatos is a genus of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. Although previously used to encompass all guitarfishes, it was found to be polyphyletic, and recent authorities have transferred many species included in the genus to Acroteriobatus, Glaucostegus, and Pseudobatos.
The sharpnose guitarfish also known as the granulated guitarfish is a species of ray in the Glaucostegidae family. They belong to the subclass Elsamobranchii which are cartilaginous fish that include sharks, rays, and skates as shown in their morphology. They have a flattened ray-like body and shark-like elongated snout. This species was first described by Georges Cuvier in 1829, and despite their appearance, they don't pose any threat to humans. As of April 2022, the IUNC has classified the sharpnose guitarfish as critically endangered.
The Brazilian guitarfish is a species of fish in the family Rhinobatidae. It is endemic to Brazil, where its natural habitat is coastal waters on the continental shelf. This fish is viviparous and has a long gestation period, concluding with the birth of live pups in February. At this time the fish are subject to intense fishing activity but catches have been dwindling in recent years as a result of overfishing. Because so few breeding-size fish remain, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the fish's conservation status as being "critically endangered".
The flathead guitarfish or Pacific guitarfish is a species of cartilaginous fish in the Rhinobatidae family. It is found in shallow seas around Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and possibly Nicaragua. Its natural habitat is the open sea.
The banded guitarfish, mottled guitarfish, prickly skate or striped guitarfish is a species of fish in the Trygonorrhinidae family. Originally Z. exasperata was placed in the Rhinobatidae family, however recent mitochondrial DNA analysis shows their placement into the new family of Trygonorrhinidae. They are found from shallow water to a depth of 200 m (660 ft) in the East Pacific from California, United States, to Mazatlan, Mexico, including the Gulf of California. The species has also been recorded further south, but this likely involves its close relative, the southern banded guitarfish.
The southern banded guitarfish, also known as the witch guitarfish, is a species of fish in the Trygonorrhinidae family found at reefs and other habitats from shallow water to a depth of 150 m in the tropical East Pacific. It ranges from Mazatlan, Mexico, to Colombia, but it likely also occurs off Ecuador and Peru. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is closely related to the more northernly distributed banded guitarfish.
The eastern shovelnose ray is a species of guitarfish in the family Rhinobatidae of order Rhinopristiformes. The species is endemic to the east coast of Australia and inhabits subtropical and temperate waters from southern Queensland to southern New South Wales.
Albula is an ancient genus of fish belonging to the family Albulidae. Members of this genus inhabit warm coastal waters worldwide.
Chaunacops is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Chaunacidae, the sea toads. This genus of deep-sea anglerfishes contains 4 species and these are found in the Indo-West Pacific. southeastern Pacific and Western Atlantic oceans. Little is known about the life history and biology of these fishes.
Gouania is a genus of clingfishes endemic to the Mediterranean Sea that contains at least 5 cryptobenthic species. The members of this genus are the only vertebrates to inhabit European intertidal gravel beaches and they have developed many adaptations to survive in this extremely harsh environment. They are a type of Clingfish meaning they form part of the family Gobiesocidae. All species of clingfish have a thoracic adhesive disc that allows them to hold on to both smooth and rough surfaces alike. This adaptation enables Gouania to survive the harsh conditions of gravel beaches, they are amongst the only fish taxa adapted to this habitat.
Pseudobatos is a genus of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. Although its constituent species were previously assigned to Rhinobatos, recent authors treat it as distinct.
