Panray
Genus of cartilaginous fishes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The panrays are a genus, Zanobatus, of rays found in coastal parts of the warm East Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Morocco to Angola.[1] It is the only genus in the family Zanobatidae, which is included in the Myliobatiformes order,[2] but based on genetic evidence some authorities place it in Rhinopristiformes[3][4] or a sister taxon to Rhinopristiformes.[5]
| Panray Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Striped panray, Zanobatus schoenleinii | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Myliobatiformes |
| Family: | Zanobatidae Fowler, 1928 |
| Genus: | Zanobatus Garman, 1913 |
| Species | |
|
2, see text | |
The two species of panrays are generally poorly known and one of the species was only scientifically described in 2016.[1][6] They are up to about 60 cm (2 ft) long, and brownish above with a heavily mottled, blotched or barred dark pattern. They are ovoviviparous and feed on benthic invertebrates.[1]
Species
There are two recognized species in the genus:[1][6]
- Zanobatus maculatus Séret, 2016
- Zanobatus schoenleinii (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1841)
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A fossil relative, †Plesiozanobatus Marramà et al, 2020 is known from the Early Eocene-aged Monte Bolca site of Italy. [7]
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