Batomorphi

Batomorphi is the cartilaginous-fish group containing rays, skates, electric rays, sawfishes, and guitarfishes. Its members have flattened bodies and enlarged pectoral fins, though body forms vary widely.

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Chondrichthyes: The class of cartilaginous fishes, including sharks, rays, skates, and chimaeras. Batomorphi is one major lineage within this broader group.
Rajiform locomotion: Swimming by waves that pass along enlarged pectoral fins, as in many skates and rays. This is a common way batoids propel themselves through water.
Manta ray: A large pelagic ray with broad triangular pectoral fins and a mouth adapted for filter feeding. Manta rays exemplify the winged, open-water form of batoid anatomy.
Shark: A cartilaginous fish with a typically streamlined body, lateral gill slits, and pectoral fins distinct from its head. Sharks are batoids' closest familiar relatives but usually retain a more fusiform body.
Elasmobranchii: The cartilaginous-fish group comprising sharks, rays, and skates. This traditional grouping places batoids alongside sharks, apart from chimaeras.
Oscillatory locomotion: Swimming by flapping enlarged pectoral fins as relatively rigid wings. Manta rays and eagle rays use this fin-driven mode instead of traveling waves.
Stingray: A ray, usually with a flattened body and a venomous spine on its tail. Stingrays illustrate how some batoids combine benthic life with a defensive tail spine.
Chimaera: A cartilaginous fish in the subclass Holocephali, with a fused upper jaw and distinctive gill coverings. Chimaeras share cartilaginous ancestry with batoids but belong to a separate major lineage.
Cartilage: A resilient connective tissue that supports the bodies of vertebrates and forms their skeletons in cartilaginous fishes. Batoids belong to fishes whose internal skeletons are made primarily of cartilage.
Ampullae of Lorenzini: Electroreceptive organs in cartilaginous fishes that detect weak electric fields in water. Batoids use these organs to locate prey and sense nearby animals.