- Cap, cos i aletes pectorals formen un disc romboïdal o circular.
- Cua prima i ben demarcada del cos.
- Dues aletes dorsals a prop de la part posterior de la cua.
- Les aletes pèlviques tenen dos lòbuls separats per una fenedura.
- L'aleta caudal és com un plec per darrere de la segona dorsal.
- Els ulls són damunt del cap i amb espiracles immediatament per darrere.[6]
Es troba a tots els mars i oceans de la Terra.[6][7]
Llurs aletes són considerades una delicadesa gastronòmica.[7]
- Amblyraja (Malm, 1877)[8]
- Arhynchobatis (Waite, 1909)[9]
- Atlantoraja (Menni, 1872)[11]
- Bathyraja (Ishiyama, 1958)[12]
- Breviraja (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1948)[13]
- Brochiraja (Last & McEachran, 2006)[14]
- Cruriraja (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1948)[13]
- Cyclobatis †
- Dactylobatus (Bean & Weed, 1909)[15]
- Dentiraja (Whitley, 1940)[16]
- Dipturus (Rafinesque, 1810)[17]
- Fenestraja (McEachran & Compagno, 1982)[18]
- Gurgesiella (de Buen, 1959)[19]
- Insentiraja (Yearsley & Last, 1992)[20]
- Irolita (Whitley, 1931)[21]
- Leucoraja (Malm, 1877)[22]
- Malacoraja (Stehmann, 1970)[23]
- Neoraja (McEachran & Compagno, 1982)[18]
- Notoraja (Ishiyama, 1958)[12]
- Okamejei (Ishiyama, 1958)[12]
- Pavoraja (Whitley, 1939)[24]
- Psammobatis (Günther, 1870)[25]
- Pseudoraja (Bigelow & Schroeder, 1954)[26]
- Raja (Linnaeus, 1758)[28]
- Rajella (Stehmann, 1970)[23]
- Rhinoraja (Ishiyama, 1952)[29]
- Rioraja (Whitley, 1939)[24]
- Rostroraja (Hulley, 1972)[31]
- Sinobatis (Hulley, 1973)[33]
- Sympterygia (Müller & Henle, 1837)[34]
- Zearaja (Whitley, 1939)[35][36][37][38][39]
Berg, L.S., 1958. System der rezenten und fossilen Fischartigen und Fische. VEB Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlín.
Malm A. W., 1877. Göteborgs och Bohusläns fauna, Ryggradsdjuren. Göteborg. Göteborgs Bohusläns Fauna . 1-674. Pls. 1-9.
Waite E. R., 1909. Pisces. Part I. A: Scientific results of the New Zealand government trawling expedition, 1907. Rec. Canterbury Mus. v. 1 (núm. 2). 131-155. Pls. 13-23.
Waite, E. R., 1909. Pisces. Part I. A: Scientific results of the New Zealand government trawling expedition, 1907. Rec. Canterbury Mus. v. 1 (núm. 2): 131-155, Pls. 13-23.
Menni R. C., 1972. Raja ("Atlantoraja") subgen. nov. y lista critica de los "Rajidae" Argentinos (Chondrichthyes, Rajiformes). Rev. Mus. La Plata Secc. Zool. v. 11 (núm. 103). 165-173.
Ishiyama R., 1958. Studies on the rajid fishes (Rajidae) found in the waters around Japan. J. Shimonoseki Coll. Fish. v. 7 (núms. 2-3). 191-394.
Bigelow H. B. & Schroeder W. C., 1948. New genera and species of batoid fishes. J. Mar. Res. v. 7. 543-566.
Last, P. R. & J. D. McEachran. 2006. New softnose skate genus Brochiraja from New Zealand (Rajidae: Arhynchobatinae) with description of four new species. N. Z. J. Mar. Freshwater Res. v. 40 (núm. 1): 65-90.
Bean B. A. & Weed A. C., 1909. Description of a new skate (* Dactylobatus armatus*) from deep water off the southern Atlantic coast of the United States. Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus. v. 36 (núm. 1682). 459-461.
Whitley, G. P., 1940. The fishes of Australia. Part I. The sharks, rays, devil-fish, and other primitive fishes of Australia and New Zealand. Royal Society of New South Wales, Zoological Handbook: 1-280.
Rafinesque C. S., 1810. Caratteri di alcuni nuovi generi e nuove specie di animali e piante della sicilia, con varie osservazioni sopra i medisimi. (Part 1 involves fishes, pp. (i-iv) 3-69 (70 blank), Part 2 with slightly different title, pp. ia-iva + 71-105 (106 blank)). Caratteri.
McEachran J. D. & Compagno L. J. V., 1982. Interrelationships of and within Breviraja based on anatomical structures (Pisces: Rajoidei). Bull. Mar. Sci. v. 32 (núm. 2). 399-425.
de Buen F., 1959. Notas preliminares sobre la fauna marina preabismal de Chile, con descripción de una familia de rayas, dos géneros y siete especies nuevos. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. Santiago v. 27 (núm. 3). 171-201.
Yearsley, G. K. & Last, P. R., 1992. Pavoraja (Insentiraja) laxipella, a new subgenus and species of skate (Chondrichthyes: Rajoidei). Copeia 1992 (núm. 3): 839-850.
Whitley G. P., 1931. Studies in ichthyology. Núm. 4. Rec. Aust. Mus. v. 18 (núm. 3). 96-133.
Malm A. W., 1877. Göteborgs och Bohusläns fauna, Ryggradsdjuren. Göteborg. Göteborgs Bohusläns Fauna . 1-674.
Stehmann M., 1970. Vergleichend morphologische und anatomische Untersuchungen zur Neuordnung der Systematik der nordostatlantischen Rajidae (Chondrichthyes, Batoidei). Arch. Fischwiss. v. 21 (núm. 2). 73-163.
Whitley G. P., 1939. Taxonomic notes on sharks and rays. Aust. Zool. v. 9 (pt 3). 227-262.
Günther A., 1870. Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Physostomi, containing the families Gymnotidae, Symbranchidae, Muraenidae, Pegasidae, and of the Lophobranchii, Plectognathi, Dipnoi, ...(thru) ... Leptocardii, in the British Museum. Cat. Fishes v. 8. i-xxv + 1-549.
Bigelow H. B. & Schroeder W. C., 1954. A new family, a new genus, and two new species of batoid fishes from the Gulf of Mexico. Breviora NÚM. 24. 1-16.
Bigelow, H. B. & W. C. Schroeder, 1954. A new family, a new genus, and two new species of batoid fishes from the Gulf of Mexico. Breviora Núm. 24: 1-16.
Linnaeus, C., 1758. Systema Naturae, Ed. X. (Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata.) Estocolm. Systema Nat. ed. 10 v. 1. i-ii + 1-824.
Ishiyama R., 1952. Studies on the rays and skates belonging to the family Rajidae, found in Japan and adjacent regions. 4. A revision of three genera of Japanese rajids with descriptions of one new genus and four new species mostly occured in northern Japan. J. Shimonoseki Coll. Fish. v. 2 (núm. 2). 1-34.
Müller, J. & F. G. J. Henle. 1838-1841. Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen. Berlín. Plagiostomen: i-xxii + 1-200, 60 pls.
Hulley P. A., 1972. The origin, interrelationships and distribution of southern African Rajidae (Chondrichthyes, Batoidei). Ann. S. Afr. Mus. v. 60 (pt 1). 1-103.
Lacépède, B. G. E., 1803. Histoire naturelle des poissons. Hist. Nat. Poiss. v. 5: i-lxviii + 1-803 + index, Pls. 1-21.
Hulley, P. A., 1973. Interrelationships within the Anacanthobatidae (Chondrichthyes, Rajoidea), with a description of the lectotype of Anacanthobatis marmoratus von Bonde & Swart, 1923. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. v. 62 (pt 4): 131-158.
Müller J. & Henle F. G. J., 1837. Gattungen der Haifische und Rochen nach einer von ihm mit Hrn. Henle unternommenen gemeinschaftlichen Arbeit über die Naturgeschichte der Knorpelfische. Ber. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1837. 111-118.
Whitley, G. P., 1939. Taxonomic notes on sharks and rays. Aust. Zool. v. 9 (pt 3): 227-262, Pls. 20-22.
- Chirichigno, N., 1973. Nuevas especies de peces de los generos Mustelus (Fam. Triakidae), Raja (Fam. Rajidae) y Schedophilus (Fam. Centrolophidae). Instituto del Mar del Perú, Informe. 42:1-40.
- Delfin, F. T., 1902. Nuevas Especies de la Familia Rajidae. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 6:262-270.
- Dolganov, V. N., 1999: Geographic and bathymetric distribution of the rays family Rajidae in the seas of Russian Far East and the adjacent waters. Voprosy Ikhtiologii v. 39 (núm. 3): 428-430.
- Hoese, D. F., J. E. Gates i D. J. Bray, 2006: Carcharinidae (pp. 96-108), Sphyrnidae (109-111), Orectolobidae (118-121), Hemiscylliidae (122-124), Rajidae (180-184). A: Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volum 35. Fishes.
- Hulley, P. A., 1970: An investigation of the Rajidae of the west and south coasts of southern Africa. Annals of the South African Museum v. 55 (pt 4): 151-220, Pls. 1-13.
- Ishiyama, R., 1950: Studies on the rays and skates belonging to the family Rajidae, found in Japan and adjacent regions. I. Egg-capsule of ten species. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology v. 1 (núm. 1): 30-36. (En japonès amb resum en anglès).
- Ishiyama, R., 1967: Fauna Japonica. Rajidae (Pisces). Biogeographical Society of Japan (Tòquio): i-vi, 1-82.
- Jeong, C.-H., 1999: A review of taxonomic studies and common names of rajid fishes (Elasmobranchii, Rajidae) from Korea. Korean Journal of Ichthyology v. 11 (núm. 2): 198-210. (En coreà amb resum en anglès).
- Last, P. R. i G. K. Yearsley, 2002: Zoogeography and relationships of Australasian skates (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Journal of Biogeography v. 29 (núm. 12): 1627-1641.
- López, M. I. i Bussing, W. A., 1982. Lista provisional de los peces marinos de la Costa Rica. Revista de Biología Tropical, 30(1):5-26.
- McEachran, J.D. i Dunn, K.A., 1998. Phylogenetic analysis of skates, a morphologically conservative clade of Elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia, 1998:271-290.
- Orlov, A. M., 2003: Diets, feeding habits, and trophic relations of six deep-benthic skates (Rajidae) in the western Bering Sea. Aqua, Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biology v. 7 (núm. 2): 45-60.
- Springer, S., 1971: Three species of skates (Rajidae) from the continental waters of Antarctica. Antarctic Research Series v. 17: 1-10.
- Stehmann, M. F. W., 1973: Rajidae (pp. 58-69). A: Hureau & Monod, 1973. Check-list of the fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and of the Mediterranean. CLOFNAM.
- Stehmann, M. F. W., 1985: Recent results regarding the taxonomy and distribution of skates (Rajidae) on the West African shelf and slope (Mauritania to Namibia). Simposio Internacional sobre las Areas de Afloramiento más importantes del Oeste Africano (Cabo Blanco y Benguela). Barcelona (Institut d'Investigacions Pesqueres) v. 2: 627-633.
- Stehmann, M. F. W., 1995: First and new records of skates (Chondrichthyes, Rajiformes, Rajidae) from the West African continental slope (Morocco to South Africa), with descriptions of two new species. Archive of Fishery and Marine Research v. 43 (núm. 1): 1-119.