Rhinopristiformes is an
order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
of
rays,
cartilaginous fishes
Chondrichthyes (; ) is a class that contains the cartilaginous fishes that have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage. They can be contrasted with the Osteichthyes or ''bony fishes'', which have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue ...
related to
shark
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...
s, containing shovelnose rays and allied groups.
Families
* Family
Glaucostegidae
''Glaucostegus'', also known as giant guitarfishes, is a genus of large Indo-Pacific rays, with a single species, '' Glaucostegus cemiculus'', in the East Atlantic, and Mediterranean. They were formerly classified in the family Rhinobatidae but ...
(giant guitarfishes)
* Family
Pristidae
Sawfish, also known as carpenter sharks, are a Family (biology), family of batoidea, rays characterized by a long, narrow, flattened rostrum (anatomy), rostrum, or nose extension, lined with sharp transverse plane, transverse teeth, arranged i ...
(sawfishes)
* Family
Rhinidae
Wedgefishes are rays of the family Rhinidae, comprising eleven species in three genera. Classified in the order Rhinopristiformes along with guitarfishes and sawfishes, they have also been known as giant guitarfishes or sharkfin guitarfishes.
T ...
(wedgefishes)
* Family
Rhinobatidae (guitarfishes)
* Family
Trygonorrhinidae
Trygonorrhinidae, the banjo rays, is a family of rays, comprising eight species in three genera. They were formerly classified in the family Rhinobatidae.
Taxonomy
* '' Aptychotrema'' Norman, 1926
** ''Aptychotrema rostrata'' Shaw, 1794 (Eas ...
(banjo rays)
;Additional families
Two additional families are associated with the order but their
phylogenetic
In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...
relationships have not been fully resolved:
* Family
Platyrhinidae (thornback rays)
* Family
Zanobatidae
The panrays are a genus, ''Zanobatus'', of rays found in coastal parts of the warm East Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Morocco to Angola. It is the only genus in the family Zanobatidae, which traditionally has been included in the Myliobatiformes ...
(panrays)
Characteristics
Species in the order Rhinopristiformes generally exhibit slow growth, late maturity, and low fecundity.
Alone or in combination, such features cause fishes in this group to be susceptible to extinction.
Threats
Rhinopristiformes are more prone to being caught in many different types of fishing equipment. These include the following:
* trawl
* gillnet
* seine net
* hook-and-line
They are caught for their meat but most importantly their fins. While the meat is mostly consumed locally the white fins are a delicacy and highly sought after. They are the most valuable part of Rhinopristiformes therefore their fins are in high demand. Both the combination of overfishing and the high desire for their fins has caused the Rhinopristiformes population to rapidly decline.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q25366201
Rays
Cartilaginous fish orders