RAJIFORMES 



'57 



its pelvic 'claspers' Ekina distinctly resembles the Rajidae, and differs 

 from the Squaliformes. On the whole, it is a beautifully intermediate 

 form between the shark-like and ray-like families. Many authors place 

 the ' Angel-fish ' with the sharks ; however, it is scarcely possible to 

 believe that so many skate - like characters have been independently 



Skull and visceral arches of Raja, ventral view. (After Gegenbaur.) a.p, antorbital process ; 

 66, compound basi branchial ; c, basihyal ; cb$, fifth ceratobranchial ; lib, hypobranchial ; km, 



hyoinandibular ; I, labial ; m.Tc, Meckel's cartilage ; na, nasal capsule ; pb, pharyngobranchial ; 

 X>q, palato-quadi-ate ; r, rostrum. 



acquired, and it seems more reasonable to suppose that the Squatinidae 

 represent an early offshoot from near the base of the Rajiform stem. 

 They were represented in Upper Jurassic times by a well- differentiated 

 species, Squatina speciosa, differing from the modern Rhina chiefly in 

 the possession of fewer calcified concentric lamellae in the vertebrae 

 (A. S. Woodward [503]). 



Squatina, Rel. ; to Jurassic, Europe. 



Rhina, Angel-fish, Klein ; tropical and temperate seas. 



