Arhynchobatidae

{{short description|Family of fishes}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Bathyraja abyssicola.jpg

| image_caption = Bathyraja abyssicola

| taxon = Arhynchobatidae

| authority = Fowler, 1934

| subdivision_ranks = Genera

| subdivision = See text

}}

Arhynchobatidae is a family of skates whose members are commonly known as the softnose skates. It belongs to the order Rajiformes in the superorder Batoidea of rays. At least 104 species have been described, in 13 genera. Softnose skates have at times been placed in the same family as hardnose skates, but most recent authors recognize them as a distinct family.MCEACHRAN, J.D. & DUNN, K.A. & MIYAKE, T. (1996) Interrelationships of the batoid fishes (Chondrichthyes: Batoidei). In: M.L.J. Stiassny, L.R. Parenti & G.D. Johnson, eds. Interrelationships of fishes. Academic Press, San Diego, London: 63–84, figs 1–13MCEACHRAN, J.D. & DUNN, K.A. (1998) Phylogenetic analysis of skates, a morphologically conservative clade of elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae). Copeia, 1998 (2): 271–290EBERT, D.A. (2003) The Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of California. University California Press, Berkeley, CA. 284 pp.LAST, P.R. & STEHMANN, M.F.W. & SÉRET, B. & WEIGMANN, S. (2016) Softnose Skates, Family Arhynchobatidae. In: Last, P.R., White, W.T., Carvalho, M.R. de, Séret, B., Stehmann, M.F.W & Naylor, G.J.P (Eds.) Rays of the World. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne: 364–472. Members of the Arhynchobatidae can be distinguished from hardnose skates in having a soft and flexible snout, as well as a more or less reduced rostrum.COMPAGNO, L.J.V. (1999) Chapter 1. Systematics and body form. pp. 1–42. In: W.C. Hamlett, ed. Sharks, skates and rays. The biology of elasmobranch fishes. Johns Hopkins Press, Maryland.