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.
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.
The blue skate, also known as the grey skate or blue-grey skate, is a species of cartilaginous fish, a ray, belonging to the family Rajidae, the skates. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the flapper skate, the combined taxon being known as the common skate. Historically, it was one of the most abundant skates in the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Despite its name, today it appears to be absent from much of this range. Where previously abundant, fisheries directly targeted this skate and elsewhere it is caught incidentally as bycatch. The former species was uplisted to critically endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2006 and it is protected within the EU.
The spotted legskate is a species of cartilaginous fish, a ray belonging to the family Anacanthobatidae, the smooth skates. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Anacanthobatis. It is found off Mozambique and South Africa. This is a demersal fish occurring on soft substrates on the continental shelf break and upper continental slope at depths of 200–435 m (656–1,427 ft).
The thornback ray, or thornback skate, is a species of ray fish in the family Rajidae.
Callionymus is a genus of dragonets found mostly in the Indian and Pacific oceans with a few species occurring in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Chimaeridae, or short-nosed chimaeras, are a family of cartilaginous fish.
The undulate ray is a species of skate and cartilaginous fish found in the Mediterranean and East Atlantic from southern Ireland and England to the Gulf of Guinea. It is found in areas with mud or sand, and may occur as deep as 200 m (660 ft), though it prefers shallower depths. It is considered endangered due to overfishing.
The common torpedo, also known as ocellate torpedo or eyed electric ray, is a species of electric ray in the family Torpedinidae. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the Bay of Biscay to Angola, and is a benthic fish typically encountered over soft substrates in fairly shallow, coastal waters. Growing to 60 cm (24 in) long, this species has a nearly circular pectoral fin disc and a short, thick tail with two dorsal fins of nearly equal size and a large caudal fin. It can be identified by the prominent blue spots on its back, which usually number five but may vary from zero to nine, as well as by the small knobs on the rims of its spiracles.
Springeria is a genus of cartilaginous fish belonging to the family Anacanthobatidae, the smooth skates. The two species in this genus are found in the central Western Atlantic.
Ogcocephalus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Ogcocephalidae, the deep sea batfishes. The species in this genus are found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Western Atlantic Ocean, with most species in the eastern Atlantic Ocean where they live at shallower depths than the other ogcocephalid genera.
Chelidonichthys, the smallscaled gurnards, is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. These gurnards are found in the Eastern Atlantic, Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
Symphodus is a genus of wrasses native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
The black scorpionfish, also known as the European scorpionfish or small-scaled scorpionfish, is a venomous scorpionfish, common in marine subtropical waters. It is widespread in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean from the British Isles to the Azores and Canary Islands, near the coasts of Morocco, in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
The red gurnard, also known as the East Atlantic red gurnard or soldier, is a benthic species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the gurnards and sea robins. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
The pita skate is a medium-sized skate in the family Rajidae. The holotype and only known specimen was found in the northern Persian Gulf, in Iraqi waters. It was collected at a depth of less than 15 m (49 ft).
Capros, the boarfish or Zulu fish, is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Caproidae. Its only known species is Capros aper. The boarfish is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean.
The rough ray is a Mediterranean ray species of the Rajidae family described by Delaroche in 1809.
