Order TORPEDINIFORMES (13)—electric rays.

Powerful electric organs, derived

from branchial muscles in head region (strongest discharges in the Torpedinidae);
skin soft and loose; eyes small to obsolete; caudal fin well developed; dorsal fins 0–
2. Electrical production is largely for feeding and defense.
Torpediniforms are regarded as the basal batomorph group and sister to the
remaining members of this order in morphological studies (McEachran and
Aschliman, 2004; Aschliman et al., 2012)., but some molecular studies (e.g.,
Aschliman et al., 2012b) place other groups such as skates in that position. Several
species are blind.
Two families, 12 genera with about 65 species. McEachran and Aschliman
(2004) recognized the monophyly of the extant taxa as shown. There is one
extinct family.

Order RAJIFORMES (14)—skates. Caudal fin moderately well developed, reduced,

or absent; tail extremely slender; dorsal fins 0–2; most with prickles or thorns
(derived from placoid scales) on skin, often with a row along midline of back; claspers
long, slender, and depressed distally. Oviparous, with eggs encased in horny
capsule with four long tips.
Members of this order were placed in the suborder Rajoidei with the same three
families in the 1994 edition, but arranged differently in the 2006 edition. McEachran
and Aschliman (2004) recognized only two families, the Rhinobatidae and Rajidae,
with the two rhinid genera being listed as incertae sedis because of their uncertain
relationships (see below under Rhinidae). Aschliman et al. (2012b) found weak
molecular support for Rajiformes being sister to all other rays. McEachran and
Konstantinou (1996) discussed the taxonomic occurrence and variation of alar and
malar thorns in skates.
For a discussion of the terms “skates and rays” see above under Division
Batomorphi.
One family, 32 genera, and 287 species. One extinct genus, †Mafdetia, is not
assignable to a Family (Cappetta, 2012). There is one extinct family.

Order PRISTIFORMES (15)—guitarfishes and sawfishes. Two extinct families

with 24 genera; four extant families with 10 genera and 63 species. The guitarfishes
(Rhinopristiformes) are a diverse group of small to large-bodied coastal benthic shark-
like batoid elasmobranchs distributed worldwide, comprising four families and about
55 species (Last et al., 2016). Fins of large species are highly prized by the international
shark-fin markets and, in general, the group is typically caught as by-catch in many
fisheries. As a result, guitarfishes are currently one of the most globally threatened
elasmobranch groups (Dulvy et al., 2014; Moore, 2017) but there is relatively little
information on the life histories of this group compared with other elasmobranchs
(Frisk, 2010).
Order MYLIOBATIFORMES (16)—stingrays. Monophyly of this taxon is
recognized after McEachran and Aschliman (2004). There has been strong support
for monophyly of this order, including in the earlier works of Nishida (1990), Lovejoy
(1996), and McEachran et al. (1996). Platyrhinids and Zanobatus were thought to
form successive sister taxa to the myliobatoids by McEachran and Aschliman (2004)
and Aschliman et al. (2012a), although Platyrhinoidei are sometimes grouped, albeit
weakly, with Torpediniformes in molecular studies (Aschliman et al., 2012a, b; Naylor
et al., 2012). Most members have enlarged brain development. Ten families with 29
genera and 221 species.