Skates are cartilaginous fish belonging to the family Rajidae in the superorder Batoidea of rays. More than 150 species have been described, in 17 genera. Softnose skates and pygmy skates were previously treated as subfamilies of Rajidae, but are now considered as distinct families. Alternatively, the name "skate" is used to refer to the entire order of Rajiformes.
Skate (fish)
Full view of a skate's mermaid's purse. Roughly 125 mm in length.
A skate laying an egg case (mermaid's purse) at the San Sebastian Aquarium
Four developing embryos located in an opened big skate egg case (mermaid's purse)
Chondrichthyes is a class of jawed fish that contains the cartilaginous fish or chondrichthyians, which all have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage. They can be contrasted with the Osteichthyes or bony fish, which have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. Chondrichthyes are aquatic vertebrates with paired fins, paired nares, placoid scales, conus arteriosus in the heart, and a lack of opecula and swim bladders. Within the infraphylum Gnathostomata, cartilaginous fishes are distinct from all other jawed vertebrates.
Chondrichthyes
Image: Myliobatis aquila sasrája
Image: Sphyrna mokarran at georgia
Image: Hornhai (Heterodontus francisci)