family Rajidae

Small, moderate or large rays (fromabout 30 to 200 cm standard length), thehead, body and greatly enlarged pectoralfins strongly depressed as a rhomboid toat times subcircular disc, the tail moderately slender and very distinct fromdisc, with a narrow fold along each side. Snout ranging from obtusely roundedto acutely pointed; soft and flexible insome species, stiff and inflexible inothers (depending on condition of rostral cartilage and forward extension ofpectoral finrays). Mouth straight to moderately curved; numerous small, single-cusped teeth in bands, forming a pavement or parallel rows (or a combinationof the two), the teeth flat to pointed,often different in the two sexes. Nostrils small, close in front of mouth,their inner margins expanded back to mouth as a nasal curtain, where they arejoined by a transverse isthmus in frontof the mouth. Spiracles immediately behind eyes, with pseudobranchial folds atanterior walls. Pectoral fins greatlyenlarged, fused completely to sides ofhead and trunk, from snout to insertionof pelvic fins; pelvic fins bilobed, butwith a joint outer margin; two smalldorsal fins, about equal in size andshape, set far back on tail; caudal finrudimentary, a low fold only behind second dorsal fin. Upper surfaces sparselyto densely covered with prickles andsmall and/or distinct thornlets andthorns, the latter in a pattern of patches, rows or singly in certain areas(apart from the special claw-like "alar"thorns near the wing-tips of maturingmales, which usually also have "malar"thorns on each side of the head at thelevel of the eyes); at least a medianrow of thorns along tail, except in thesubgenus (Malacoraja) of Raja; undersidesmooth to more or less prickly, but alsosome irregular thorns in a few species.Colours and patterns various.

Benthic from inshore waters toabyssal depths, occasionally in brackishwater. Feeding on all kinds of bottomanimals. Oviparous; large horny rectangular egg-cases, with two short horns atone end and two longer horns at the other, deposited on the bottom.