The panrays are a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

, ''Zanobatus'', of rays found in coastal parts of the warm East Atlantic Ocean, ranging from

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

. It is the only genus in the family Zanobatidae, which traditionally has been included in the

Myliobatiformes Myliobatiformes () is one of the four orders of batoids, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They were formerly included in the order Rajiformes, but more recent phylogenetic studies have shown the myliobatiforms to be a monophyletic grou ...

order, but based on genetic evidence it is now in

Rhinopristiformes Rhinopristiformes is an order of rays, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks, containing shovelnose rays and allied groups. Families * Family Glaucostegidae (giant guitarfishes) * Family Pristidae (sawfishes) * Family Rhinidae (wedgefishes) * ...

or a

sister taxon In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

to Rhinopristiformes. The two species of panrays are generally poorly known and one of the species was only

scientifically described A species description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species that have be ...

in 2016. They are up to about long, and brownish above with a heavily mottled, blotched or barred dark pattern. They are

ovoviviparous Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...

and feed on

benthic The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning "t ...

invertebrates.

Species

There are two recognized species in the genus: * Maculate panray (''Zanobatus maculatus'') * Striped panray (''Zanobatus schoenleinii'')

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3574764 Ray genera Taxa named by Samuel Garman