Family ANACANTHOBATIDAE

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Introduction

Until recently the family Anacanthobatidae included only a single genus Anacanthobatis. From recent work, however, 23 species and five genera have now been recognised worldwide (Last & Compagno 1999; Last & Séret 2008; Last & Stevens 2009). One genus and three species are known from Australian waters. Anacanthobatis has generally been included in the family Rajidae (Nelson 2006). Members of the Anacanthobatidae are found over the lower continental shelf and continental slopes of the west Atlantic Ocean, west Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean (off Western Australia) and western Indian Ocean. Maximum size is 690 mm.

General References

Last, P.R. & Compagno, L.J.V. 1999. Families Rajidae, Arhynchobatidae, Anacanthobatidae. pp. 1452-1466 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.

Last, P.R. & Séret, B. 2008. Three new legskates of the genus Sinobatis (Rajoidei: Anacanthobatidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. Zootaxa 1671: 33-58

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Australia 2, 550 pp.

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

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