Ray

Batoidea Temporal range: Early Triassic-Recent[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Devil fish, Mobula mobular
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Superorder:	Batoidea
Orders
Myliobatiformes Rajiformes Rhinopristiformes Torpediniformes †Sclerorhynchiformes
Synonyms
Batoidimorpha Myliobatoidea

The rays, or batoids, are a group of cartilaginous fish containing more than 500 described species in thirteen families. They include four orders.

Rays are mostly flattened in shape, and usually demersal, living and eating at the bottom of the sea. The group first appears in the Triassic period, after 95% of marine species had been wiped out by the P/Tr extinction event.

1. ↑ Stevens, J. & Last, P.R. (1998), Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.), Encyclopedia of Fishes, San Diego: Academic Press, p. 60, ISBN 0-12-547665-5