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.
Trichogaster is a genus of gouramis native to South Asia from Pakistan to Myanmar. It is the only genus in the monotypic subfamily Trichogastrinae as set out in the 5th Edition of Fishes of the World, although that book states that there are two genera, the other being Colisa which is treated as a synonym of Trichogaster by Fishbase and the Catalog of Fishes. Fishbase also places the genus in the Luciocephalinae. Species of this genus are very popular in the aquarium trade.
Stichaeidae, the pricklebacks or shannies, are a family of marine ray-finned fishes in the suborder Zoarcoidei of the order Scorpaeniformes. Most species are found in the North Pacific Ocean with a few in the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Anacanthobatidae, the smooth skates or leg skates, are a family of skates found at depths below 200 m (660 ft) in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
The Pseudotriakidae are a small family of ground sharks, belonging to the order Carcharhiniformes, containing the false catsharks and gollumsharks. It contains the only ground shark species that exhibit intrauterine oophagy, in which developing fetuses are nourished by eggs produced by their mother.
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 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).
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.
Plectropomus, commonly known as the coral groupers, is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, groupers from the subfamily Epinephelinae, part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Zaniolepis, the combfishes, is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, it is one of two genera in the family Zaniolepididae. These fishes are native to the eastern Pacific Ocean. Z. frenata that was a source of food to the Native American inhabitants of San Nicolas Island off the coast of southern California, United States during the Middle Holocene.
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. 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.
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.
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.
Radulinus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Cottidae, the typical sculpins. These fishes are found in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Polynemus is a genus of threadfins. They are native to South and Southeast Asia and, depending on the species, occur in freshwater, brackish, and/or marine environments.
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 school bass is a species of marine ray-finned fish, it is the only member of the monotypic genus Schultzea which is part of the subfamily Serraninae which itself is classified within the family Serranidae, along with the anthias and groupers. It is found in the western central Atlantic Ocean. This species is found in deeper waters near coral reefswhere it forms small groups which feed on plankton. The school bass is a synchronous hermaphrodite. The generic name honours the American ichthyologist Leonard Peter Schultz (1901-1986) who was Curator of Fishes at the United States National Museum who examined the specimens described by Loren P. Woods (1914-1979) as Schultzea campachanus, which was later shown to be a synonym of Hildebrand's Serranus beta.
Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks, is a family of sharks belonging to the order Carcharhiniformes. The deepwater catsharks are found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
The American legskate is a species of cartilaginous fish, a ray, belonging to the family Anacanthobatidae, the smooth skates. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Schroederobatis. This bathydemersal species is found in the southern Caribbean and off northern South America.
Caliraja is a genus of cartilaginous fish, rays, belonging to the family Rajidae, the skates. These skates are found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
