Myliobatiformes (), commonly known as stingrays, are one of the four orders of Batoidea, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks.
Characteristics
Myliobatiformes share physical characteristics of a long, thin tail with serrated spines
and a pancake-like body.
They share many characteristics with the batoid order
Rajiformes, in which they were previously included.
The key difference of the orders is the Myliobatiformes' single-lobed pelvic fin, lack of a mid-tail spine, and general lack of a dorsal fin.
Myliobatiformes also possess stinging spines along the tail's base, and generally possess large pectoral fins that are completely fused (except
Eagle ray) to the head.
They can camouflage from predators by using their flat, disk-shaped bodies to lie against the seafloor.
Classification
]]Myliobatiformes is classified as follows in
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes:
Suborder Myliobatoidei Leonard Compagno, 1973
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Family Hexatrygonidae Phil Heemstra & M. M. Smith, 1980 (sixgill stingrays)
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Family Dasyatidae D. S. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879 (whiptail stingrays)
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Subfamily Dasyatinae D. S. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879 (stingrays)
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Subfamily Maskray Castelnau, 1873 (shortsnout stingrays)
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Subfamily Urogymninae Gray, 1851 (whiprays)
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Subfamily Hypolophinae Ernst Stromer, 1910 (cowtail stingrays)
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Family Potamotrygonidae Samuel Garman, 1877 (neotropical stingrays)
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Family Urotrygonidae McEachran, Dunn & Tsutomu Miyaki, 1996 (American round stingrays)
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Family Gymnuridae Fowler, 1934 (butterfly rays)
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Family Plesiobatidae Kiyonori Nishida, 1990 (deepwater stingrays or giant stingarees)
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Family Urolophidae J. P. Müller & Henle 1841 (round stingrays or stingarees)
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Family Aetobatidae Louis Agassiz, 1858 (pelagic eagle rays)
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Family Myliobatidae Bonaparte 1835 (eagle rays)
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Family Rhinopteridae D. S, Jordan & Evermann, 1896 (cownose rays)
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Family Mobulidae Theodore Gill, 1893 (mantas or devil rays)
The family Aetobatus is recognised by some authorities. It contains the genus Aetobatus, which is otherwise part of Myliobatidae.
The families Myliobatidae and Rhombodontidae are sometimes grouped in their own superfamily, Myliobatoidea.
Cladogram
